11
07-29-2004, 02:59 PM
Taken from SuperBikePlanet
"I have to answer one more question that I get asked a lot: Why don't I go to GP? Firstly, there have been no offers. Do I expect an offer? No. I don't have a management group chasing that kind of thing up for me. Why don't I want to go to GP? Because I am a realist who knows I wouldn't be competitive. My reason: I am to big. I am just over six feet tall (181cm) and at present weigh 183lbs (83kg). These statistics tell me that if I was on the right bike with the right team and had to race Rossi, I couldn't do it. These statistics also tell me that if I was on the wrong bike with the wrong team and had to race Rossi, it would be more fun sticking a screw driver in my eye. With these statistics and the right bike and team I may be able to be competitive at a track like Barber, where it is tight and twisty and being physical with the bike can help. Unfortunately, European tracks are a lot different than Barber.
If a standard across the board bike and rider weight limit came into effect, then maybe it would be different, maybe I could be competitive. I say "maybe" because you cannot compare riders who compete in a different series. The arm-chair experts like to do it, but it is impossible. The bottom line is I would prefer to be competitive over here than race for tenth over there. "
"I have to answer one more question that I get asked a lot: Why don't I go to GP? Firstly, there have been no offers. Do I expect an offer? No. I don't have a management group chasing that kind of thing up for me. Why don't I want to go to GP? Because I am a realist who knows I wouldn't be competitive. My reason: I am to big. I am just over six feet tall (181cm) and at present weigh 183lbs (83kg). These statistics tell me that if I was on the right bike with the right team and had to race Rossi, I couldn't do it. These statistics also tell me that if I was on the wrong bike with the wrong team and had to race Rossi, it would be more fun sticking a screw driver in my eye. With these statistics and the right bike and team I may be able to be competitive at a track like Barber, where it is tight and twisty and being physical with the bike can help. Unfortunately, European tracks are a lot different than Barber.
If a standard across the board bike and rider weight limit came into effect, then maybe it would be different, maybe I could be competitive. I say "maybe" because you cannot compare riders who compete in a different series. The arm-chair experts like to do it, but it is impossible. The bottom line is I would prefer to be competitive over here than race for tenth over there. "