Hope they’re paying Crutchlow enough

They are.

People get swept up by the times that Rossi can post in testing

I’d agree with that- however Rossi is famed for being able to play catch up at the end of the race on knackered tyres. Hopefully he won’t have to come too far from behind this year 😉
Also those pesky kids are pretty handy on knackered tyres too!

Early days yet but the Doctor is in a far better place than he was 12 months ago! It’s all good so far 😀

How old is Rossi in racer years? 90? What he could do when MM was in primary school doesn’t mean anything.

I’m not reading much into his pace, he’s always gone well at Sepang, look at last year when he was 3rd in same test. Everyone got the Rossifever then and look at his season.

What we were missing from this test was Jorge on song, he’s claimed to have taken to the new fuel limit badly and its affecting his bike/style possibly more than others.

Honda have also been working on the seemless shift gearbox even more and if you read up on Motomatters website (David Emmett) has stated that coming down the box the Honda’s sound like a CVT gearbox which is making it supersmooth corner entry, something the Honda boys were moaning about last year.

I think he hits the nail on the head with his comment about the irony in 1000cc 4 stroke bikes finally entering a corner like a 2 stroke

BT Sport have announced their line up and while I will miss Toby Moody its not all that bad. On the upside Melanie Sykes is the eye candy.

Oh and Matt Roberts is going from BBC to Eurosport for WSB.

BT Sport has announced the presenters, commentators and programme details for its new MotoGP TV coverage.

BT has acquired exclusive live UK broadcasting rights in a five-year deal starting this season, which replaces MotoGP coverage on the BBC and British Eurosport.

Unveiling what it says will be the most extensive MotoGP coverage ever seen in the UK, BT’s race weekends will be presented by Melanie Sykes, alongside Neil Hodgson and James Toseland.

After appearing in Boddington’s beer advertisements during the 1990s, Sykes has gone on to present a wide variety of TV programmes and award ceremonies. British stars Hodgson and Toseland are both former MotoGP racers, as well as World Superbike champions.

In the commentary box, BT Sport will be reuniting Julian Ryder and Keith Huewen. Ryder has been Eurosport’s MotoGP commentator for more than 14 years, alongside Toby Moody, but previously worked with British champion Huewen at Sky Sports.

Motorcycle News correspondent Matt Birt will also be involved, while Dorna presenter Gavin Emmett will be BT Sport’s MotoGP reporter.

The channel’s new MotoGP coverage launches on March 18 with a special preview show, featuring interviews with all the top riders and action from the pre-season tests.

For each of this year’s 19 races, BT Sport will show practice and qualifying sessions live, plus full coverage of the Moto2 and Moto3 races as well as the elite MotoGP class.

It will be hosted on-site at each event with additional studio coverage from BT Sport’s state of the art facilities at the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Award winning production company North One Television will produce BT Sport’s coverage.

A new hour-long programme, MotoGP Tonight, will be broadcast at 8pm on Tuesdays, after every grand prix weekend. This will be presented by Craig Doyle and former Olympian Iwan Thomas. The pair will be joined by an array of guests from the motorbike world.

“It’s really exciting to be launching such a thrilling new sport on BT Sport, with a tremendous new team and what we believe will be a fresh approach to MotoGP and some fantastic new shows,” said Simon Green, head of BT Sport.

“MotoGP is the top, two-wheeled motorsport. It’s massive in the UK and we’re heading into it at full throttle and following every second of the action. We’re sure we’ll appeal to committed fans, but we also think we will win over and welcome new fans to the sport.”

Manel Arroyo, managing director of Dorna Sports, added: “I’m pleased that MotoGP is part of such a huge and exciting project as BT Sport. I’m sure that BT Sport will provide the in-depth coverage that MotoGP deserves so that British fans can follow the fortunes of British riders in the Championship.”

Live race weekend coverage on BT Sport will usually start on Friday mornings and include all practice sessions and races throughout the weekend, with around five hours of coverage each day.

The special four-night season opener in Qatar will be an exception, with coverage starting on Thursday March 20 from 3pm to 7.45pm.

BT Sport is also creating a second screen MotoGP experience as part of the BT Sport app.

Users will be able to watch the main coverage and choose from seven other camera views, including four fitted to bikes, a helicopter view plus live timing and tracking screens.

Full races and highlights, including interviews and features, will also be available to watch on the app.

BT Sport is free to BT broadband customers and available on subscription for non-broadband customers. The channels can be accessed via Sky, BT TV or online.

BT Sport’s 2014 line-up leaves no place for former BBC commentators Steve Parrish and Charlie Cox. Eurosport’s Toby Moody had already announced he would not be part of the BT coverage.

BBC MotoGP anchor Matt Roberts is moving to Eurosport, where he will present the channel’s WSBK and BSB coverage.

crash.net

BT are systematically destroying sports coverage for the masses. Was looking forward to a fantastic season of fighting between the old guard, new guard and the somewhere in the middle guard but now wont see anything except a few column inches on a website. 🙁

BT are systematically destroying sports coverage for the masses. Was looking forward to a fantastic season of fighting between the old guard, new guard and the somewhere in the middle guard but now wont see anything except a few column inches on a website

Why won’t we ?

Sykes, Toseland, and Hodgson, is this a joke, how dull is the commentary going to be 🙄

I am confused as ever about BT’s coverage. I have Sky Broadband, will I be able to access BT Sports, anyone know??

I am confused as ever about BT’s coverage. I have Sky Broadband, will I be able to access BT Sports, anyone know??

Yep but but you have to pay £12 a month for the privilege.

I thought BT online coverage was only available to BT subscribers, and the satellite channel was available as an extra to those with sky satellite subscription.

Sykes, Toseland, and Hodgson, is this a joke, how dull is the commentary going to be

Can’t be any worse than the BBC coverage. What they should have done was sign up the guys the BBC had commentating on the 250 races, they were actually pretty decent.

Really, Mel Sykes, is appalling describing her as a presenter is pushing it rather, and Toseland and Hodgson are sooo dull it’s going to be painful, think I’ll watch it with the sound off. 👿

Whoops my bad, I read that as I already have Sky…

If you dont have Sky TV and no BT broadband, then no you cant. If you have Sky TV then you can pay the £12 a month fee to add it to your existing package.

Mel Sykes is no worse than the dumb bint from the gadget show, and while Toselan and Hodgeson might not be the most exciting choices, but they will be far far less irritating than Cox and Parrish, who seemed to think it was all about them and the motogp was just incidental to their “radio talk show”.

To be frank it sounds like a ‘nightmare in a bubble car’ to me 😉

I don’t watch the gadget show either

They have actually signed 2 suitable people.

Gavin Emmett – Best commentator for me (and a good ol Leeds Lad)
James Toseland – Dull but insightful and analytical

Julian Ryder – He’s ok

Neil Hodgson – I used to ride MotoGP you know, did you hear me?
Mel Sykes – Erm
Craig Doyle – He’s done well on the TT coverage
Keith Huewen – Passionate I suppose

Actually Keith Huewen working with Mel Sykes..I see another court case coming..

Shame I won’t be watching it. Apart from on one of the constantly shutting down youtube channels that spring up a la US Supercross.

Kyou BT sport.

EDIT On the upside we’ll never hear these catchphrases..

That’s shot the fox
Across the stripe
Nightmare in a bubble car
He needs that like a third armpit

Always used to get on my nerves when Parrish used to say..”Oh he’s closed the gap, I wonder if that was because a is slowing or b is going faster now”. Well ‘Oracle’ if you realised that you were paid handsomely and flown to the other side of the world to do the job of looking at the timing screens you could tell us.

Yep, Craig Doyle is superb on the TT. Glad to see him there.
As nobody has seen how good/awful it’s going to be yet, how about we reserve judgement on the rest? 😀

PS – I liked Parrish and Cox.

Well at least Cox is out, completely unlistenable.

Sykes, really? Do we really need “eye candy” these days? At least hire someone with some sports presenting credentials.

Shame no room for Neil Spalding. I wonder if he was offered a job?

Repeats it is for me then…. 😀

Do SBS still show MotoGP in Oz?

I’ll have to work out how to see it if so.

I dont care who knows I think Sykes is as hot as hell, I will mute it and just stare at her, actually I wont, as have no access to it. 🙁

Toesland is so bland it hurts, Hodgo is ok.

Oh well it is all going to be a bit pants.

PS – I liked Parrish and Cox.

We will find you

Emmett is pretty good, but I never liked Ryder unless he’s got Moody there with him as anchorman. He must be off to 4 wheeled commentary I guess. That’s a shame. No Spalders either, they’re missing a trick there.

Doyle has been good on the TT coverage.

When I read “sykes” I thought it was Tom. Him, Toseland & Hodgson would be like prozac / a coma. I can’t abide content free presenters (cue Mel Sykes).

Does anyone who has bit internet tried accessing bt sport from a non bt internet connection?

Does anyone who has bit internet tried accessing bt sport from a non bt internet connection?

I’ve used the BT Sports app using my parents login over my Virgin broadband and it works.

I’ve since subscribed to the BT Sports channel through Virgin.
The presenting line-up looks a damn site better than BBC and I won’t be missing Parrish and Cox!!

Marquez breaks leg

Sounds a pretty straightforward break thankfully.

Ok, so if you’ve BT Broadband and Sky TV you just ring up – and HD is an extra £3pcm.

But, you also have you BB contract extended for 12 months at its current rate. Or if like me my contract ends next week, you wait and then get the ‘new’ deal which saves me £10 pcm.

Marquez leg break

He should be allright, there’s a while to go before the start of the season

Marquez leg break

‘Marc has already started rehabilitation with magnetic therapy’, said a Repsol Honda Team statement.

Arrrrrrrghhh! Voodoo alert.

Just watching the WSB back on Sky, happy days.
More especially the supersports, well done Jules Cluzel- the first MV Augusta victory since Giacomo Agostini at the Nurburgring in 1976!!
Good to have them back…

The Tetchy Turk took himself out didn’t he?

tetchy Turk

At first I thought it was oil on the track, but I think he was just a bit throttle happy. He’ll be back winning come the next round.
Shame for Alex Lowes in the superbikes, once he gets used to it all he’ll be up there. Bloody good ride from Eugene, if the engine hadn’t let go I reckon he would have had a double win there….

Sepang test number 2 underway- cor blimey Alvaro Bautista is going some. Fastest so far!
That Espargaro is still looking handy too, I’m going to put some money on him at least getting on a podium at some stage this year. What do you reckon, a win aswell?
You never know (ok maybe not a win!)

Anyone read the superb Cal interview in this month’s Bike mag?

How is Redding progressing? I think he will be top brit this year as Cal is riding a barge ;(

Bradley Smith on Tech 3 yam though 😉

Think Redding will be good when he fully gets to grips with the bigger bike.

On my motorbike forum someone posted a link to this streaming site which has BT sport, so might be a good place to watch the MotoGP and other series.

Quality seems to be O.K.

http://cricfree.tv/live/index.php

Phl

Well that’s testing over with, Rossi seems to be back at the top again- hopefully he can continue with that come racedays!
I’m sure this year will see (if you have BT) some good action and I’m expecting Espargaro to join in aswell. That’ll be good!
Also Ducati confirms they will be racing an open class bike- they need a new direction but it doesn’t look like they’ll be a winner anytime soon. Shame, I’d like to see them do well once again.

It looks like ITV4 will be showing a 1 hour highlight show on the Monday after the race. Monday 24th 8pm is the first.

ITV4

Happy days 😀