2010 motorcycle racing awards
We look back on the highlights and lowlights of 2010, and what may greet us in 2011The best three race motorcycles of 2010
1. Aprilia RSV4 R Factory – Max Biaggi’s world superbike winning machine talked the talk in a muscle-flexing display of superiority.
2. Yamaha YZR-M1 – Specifically Jorge Lorenzo’s machine. What greater endorsement than winning road racing’s premier title?
3. Honda CBR1000RR – now a three-year-old bike, but one that continues to prove just how well Honda nailed the design in the first place. Won numerous domestic Superbike titles around the world, including Karl Muggeridge in Germany and Bryan Staring in Australia.
The best race team of 2010
This one a local operation – CDR Yamaha, managed by Craig Dack. Celebrated its third successive open class Aussie motocross title with star rider Jay Marmont, and just oozes professionalism out of every pore, allied with a real sense of the occasion.
The motorsport surprise of the year
After seemingly being impervious to serious injury throughout his MotoGP career, Valentino Rossi's good fortune finally came to an unceremonious and painful end when he broke his right tibia in a massive practice crash at the Italian Grand Prix.
The motorsport disappointment of the year
Chad Reed’s annus horribilis. Injury and then illness sabotaged what could have been another top year for the Aussie champion. And now the dynamics have changed again, with Reed choosing to field his own team in 2011 aboard Honda machinery.
The motorsport person of 2010
Tomasz Gollob. The 39-year-old Polish star finally won the world speedway title in 2010, 15 years after he started competing in the revamped multi-round GP-style championship. As a result, Gollob’s status in speedway-mad Poland is now something approaching God-like.
Gripe of 2010
Why send out a media release five days after a motorcycle race meeting has concluded? People have already moved on…
What we'd pay to see in 2011
The opening round of next year’s MotoGP title as Stoner makes his debut on the factory Honda, and likewise Rossi on the Ducati. My bet’s on Stoner to win that one, and by this time next year Ducati may be ruing its decision to throw all its world championship road racing eggs in the one pricey basket.
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