John McGuinness column
Our new columnist gives his verdict on Miller, Marquez and Crutchlow
One good thing about having a bad injury is that you get to watch lots of TV – and bike racing has kept me glued to the box recently.
I just put my busted leg up on the sofa and watched MotoGP, BSB and motocross. I felt so sorry for Jack Miller in Argentina. He showed how big his balls are in the wet. He stuck it to them in practice. Then he made the right tyre decision and sat on the grid. I think if six or seven riders had decided to head to the pits after he warmup lap to change tyres, he’d have been ok. But when the whole grid headed for the pits, both Miller and the organisers were shafted. I was proper gutted for him, but I can see how they came to the decision they did – with him on pole and the rest of the field 20 yards back. I’m not sure what else they could have done to keep things fair and safe.
I was also thinking they should introduce a yellow card rule, a bit like football. If you’re riding like a cock you get a yellow card, a warning. Then if you carry on you get a red card and a penalty. Marc Marquez was taking liberties in practice in Argentina and should have had a yellow card before the race even started. In the race, he was sitting up riders good and proper. It was offensive.
He didn’t have to pass Valentino Rossi, he could have waited and passed him easily and safely a bit later on in the race. It was a combination of factors which led to the incident. FIrst, it happened at a corner that drags you in, then there were the poor conditions and finally his bad start meant he was charging through and was on a mission. But you can’t do that to another rider, especially Rossi – the man’s a god.
It’s a shame that Cal Crutchlow didn’t get the credit he deserved for such a brilliant win. He was patient, did a good job, and timed it right. I love it when he screamed ‘do not doubt me’ at the cameras. He wears his heart on his sleeve and tells it like it is.
He’s a fighter, an angry man… and I love him for that.
‘MILLER WAS SHAFTED – I WAS GUTTED FOR HIM’