of the season. The only question is whether his wrist is up to the job.Rubbing It InThe main candidate to prevent Stoner from taking another victory will be the man who took his crown. Valentino Rossi is outstanding at Sepang, just as he is elsewhere. With 4

that the series had visited before, albeit 14 years ago. With the track in Italy, and racing taking place on the final weekend of the Italian summer vacation, both climate and population should have been favorably inclined towards the event. What's more

year's Ducati demolition job fresh in their minds. But Honda and Yamaha had learnt a thing or two since their humiliation here at the hands of the tiny Bologna factory in 2007. Casey Stoner pulled out of Valentino Rossi's draft at the end

the line.Must Try HarderIronically, owning Motegi has not allowed Honda to own the racetrack very often in recent years. The Japanese giant has been forced to watch the tiny Italian usurpers Ducati and Loris Capirossi take the glory of victory for the past

and down streets all over the world.That’s as many as KTM’s GS-inspired Adventure, which shows the company must be onto something. Well, Ducati thought so. Last year they launched an Italian take on the big supermoto, the Hypermotard. Under the banner

The last time I rode at Sugo was in 2002 aboard the Belgarda World Supersport R6, and I’d forgotton how much fun the place is. It’s like Oulton Park on steroids! Back then my racebike was pretty much as near to a factory job as was possible, full

, and nearly a second faster than John Hopkins, the next man on the grid. But in the race, any advantage the Italian managed to pull out through the slow and tortuous section between the two long straights using the sweet handling of his Yamaha M1 would

quite a different face on things: Firstly, Pramac, the Italian industrial power systems company who sponsor the team, announced they would be buying a big stake in the team, and putting more money in. Shortly afterwards, Luis d'Antin announced the team

Desmosedici needed to be bullied into submission, and Capirex had learned to square off the corners like that old dirt track hand, Nicky Hayden. The diminutive Italian is having to unlearn those old bad habits, and so far, he's not been very successful

of the mechanical jobs, just in case I scratch the paint work. Silly I know as I am bound to at some stage fall off on the track and feck it all up. Will post next monday the 26th by when I hope to have the bike completed and ready to race.Friday 23rd 2007Was