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Turn 1 at Catalunya is never a good way to secure the sole lead in the MotoGP points chase.  I am sure Hayden would give them back to have the Ducati riders (both of them) and Melandri back on the track and uninjured.  There was a funk in the air…or on the track that put people off the track for one reason or another.  From motogp.com:

• Melandri (flown out by helicopter) - dislocated collarbone and neck injury
• Capirossi (flown out by helicopter) - abdominal contusion
• Gibernau (transported to hospital) - fractured right collarbone and light concussion

Nineteen bikes started the race and only eleven finished.  That is the most attrition I have ever seen (as a percent) in motorcycle racing.  Even after the race was back underway, leaders as well as backmarkers were tossing their bikes.  Here are the stats:

1. Valentino ROSSI (Yam YZR-M1), Michelin, 24 laps, 41:31.237
2. Nicky HAYDEN (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -4.509 seconds
3. Kenny Lee ROBERTS (Hon KR211V), Michelin, -9.174 seconds
4. John HOPKINS (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -13.465 seconds
5. Colin EDWARDS (Yam YZR-M1), Michelin, -22.548 seconds
6. Chris VERMEULEN (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -25.198 seconds
7. Makoto TAMADA (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -30.622 seconds
8. Carlos CHECA (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -31.277 seconds
9. James ELLISON (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -59.203 seconds
10. Alex HOFMANN (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -74.062 seconds
11. Jose Luis CARDOSO (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -106.815 seconds
12. Dani PEDROSA (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -13 laps, DNF, crash
13. Toni ELIAS (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -15 laps, DNF, crash
14. Casey STONER (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -16 laps, DNF, crash
15. Randy DE PUNIET (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, -18 laps, DNF, crash
16. Sete GIBERNAU (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -24 laps, DNS
17. Marco MELANDRI (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -24 laps, DNS
18. Loris CAPIROSSI (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -24 laps, DNS
19. Shinya NAKANO (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, DQ

Nakano’s DQ was due to the fact that he had to go to his #2 bike from overheating on the gris during the restart mayhem.  What happened was that Vermeulen’s biek overheated on the grid after the red flag.  This caused a further delay…with engines running.  It wasn’t clear from the announcers when they referred to the “third try” at this race, but that is what they were talking about.  Anyway, rules state that any bike #2 must start from the back of the grid an Nakano went to his qualifying position NOT the back of the pack.

Even though the race was great to watch, it was not what I wanted to see.  My guess is that a lot of the wind was taken out of the sails of the riders after coming back around to turn #1 immediately following the red flag and see their fellow racers on the ground being tended to.  I don’t mind the crashes, but I would much rather see a crash due to a last minute effort for an overtake versus the shit happens of touching your front brake lever to another’s bike. 

Even though I’m a Hayden fan and am happy he put some margin into his lead, I wanted to see him and Capirossi duke it out.  It was not meant to be.  Even though these are some of the toughest SOB’s on the planet, I am expecting an absence or two for next week’s race.