Gutless MOTO gp riders

[cheaperholidays]

Lets hope Honda and Yamaha dump the gutless cowards who refuse to ride in Japan - scones    

[Baggy]

I think you have to respect their decisions, in reality I would refuse to travel to Japan at the moment just for work

[MarkShelley]

Lets hope Honda and Yamaha dump the gutless cowards who refuse to ride in Japan - scones   

Gutless eh?
Do you regularly slide along tarmac at over 100mph, or launch yourself into the air just for the fun of it then?

[cheaperholidays]

They are paid to ride, its a disgrace, i have a friend from Tokyo staying with us for a for a few days and she never glowed in the dark...

[marc]

Gutless eh?
Do you regularly slide along tarmac at over 100mph, or launch yourself into the air just for the fun of it then?

+1 all day long .... you wont catch me going into corners at a ton plus ... but let me know when your on another track day and i'll come and watch you do the business.....

[djkitchen]

Agreeing with Marc and Mark here, don't blame them for not wanting to go, you wouldn't get me in that part of the world for work.

As for being 'gutless' see the previous 2 posts!

[flying circus]

omg just watched stoner and lorenzo they are supermen as are all motorcycle racers!!!
thought if i refuse to go to work?

[cheaperholidays]

“A chest X-ray is about 10 millirem or 0.1 millisieverts,” .

 “At a level of 0.07 microsieverts an hour [the approximate level of radiation measured recently at both Toyko and Sendai], it would take 60 days to reach the level of a chest X-ray.

I rest my case, to refuse to go is beyond belief..

[Wheelspin]

How is it gutless to not want to spend a weekend within 20 miles of the most serious nuclear accident in 20 years?
Tokyo is a lot further away.

[DoktorMandrake]

Pansies. They may corner at over 100mph, but honestly, Stoner and Lorenzo are in reality clearly precious, pampered little egos. I wouldn't give it a second thought. If it's deemed safe to race by Moto GP bosses and the Japanese authorities, why not race?

"Stoner and Lorenzo rejected claims their decision contradicted the "With You Japan" stickers they carry on their bikes.

"I don't think supporting someone and being in the same place is the same thing," said Stoner.

Oh god no. You don't have to be in the same place to support someone. Token gestures like a sticker on your bike is all that's required. Good job, lads!

teacake it, give me a bike and I'll go to Japan and race instead.

[Frevrod]

Sorry,  assuming the cumulative effect is logical I think you ought to check your maths.  0.07 per hour = 1.68 per day = 16.8 chest x-rays per day

[Nero]

They are paid to ride, its a disgrace, i have a friend from Tokyo staying with us for a for a few days and she never glowed in the dark...

If the only risk was glowing in the dark, then I would agree with you, however the reality is much more sinister. Motogp riders are paid to race, not expose themselves to harmful elements.

[cheaperholidays]

Sorry,  assuming the cumulative effect is logical I think you ought to check your maths.  0.07 per hour = 1.68 per day = 16.8 chest x-rays per day

Actualy no its  0.07 microsieverts an hour  which is a tiny number 7×10-5

[Frevrod]

Actualy no its  0.07 microsieverts an hour  which is a tiny number 7×10-5

Sorry, missed the whole micro/milli thing.

[cheaperholidays]

If the only risk was glowing in the dark, then I would agree with you, however the reality is much more sinister. Motogp riders are paid to race, not expose themselves to harmful elements.

Harmful elements  lol - exhaust fumes, bits of tyre dust, brake dust and so on

[motobiker]

Is it not more likely that their insurers refuse to cover them.. and so thats it. No go

Don't blame em to be honest. If I couldn't get insurance to go to somewhere.. I wouldn't bother. (work or not!)

[Wheelspin]

Oh god no. You don't have to be in the same place to support someone. Token gestures like a sticker on your bike is all that's required. Good job, lads!

So those who donate to Oxfam aren't really supporting the poor of Africa because they're not actually going to Africa to help them pump water from the well?  Give me a break.

These guys are cash rich and time poor at the moment.  Unless you have some evidence that they haven't donated in order to justify their use of the stickers then perhaps you should stop making unwarranted accusations.

[rotax81]

its work for them and if you were asked to go to japan on business you could refuse just the same.

[Stephan Ar CG]

Just branch the detector's alarm on the horns of italian bikes... Some Data says that the measurement of the level radioactivity given by the japanese government is a lie...

[DoktorMandrake]

So those who donate to Oxfam aren't really supporting the poor of Africa because they're not actually going to Africa to help them pump water from the well?  Give me a break.

These guys are cash rich and time poor at the moment.  Unless you have some evidence that they haven't donated in order to justify their use of the stickers then perhaps you should stop making unwarranted accusations.

Or perhaps you should see my point. That it's easy for GP riders or anyone in the public eye to wack a sticker on their bike (or espouse a cause with a similar gesture) with little thought for the people whose plight it represents. I am not saying that is what happened in this instance, but if it's deemed safe to go to Japan, surely one should go, even as a show of solidarity and a sign to the Japanese people that normality or a level of it has resumed and it's business as usual. Which is surely what they would respect and value more than a sticker. So, no, I do not expect anyone who donates to Oxfam to go and physically help the people pump a well, but at the same time I expect someone who helps a cause in a small way to actually think about how far they would be willing to go should the opportunity arise. I do not expect GP riders to put themselves in danger or have their health effected but by the sounds of it it has been deemed very low risk for them to attend. Cash rich and time poor? Certainly. However, they are not being asked to put themselves in any more danger than the average Japanese citizen lives with daily or take time out of their schedule - they are being expected to go and do their job for a couple of days. Do you think the pit crews, reporters, promoters, dolly birds, execs, tyre inflaters and less important GP people get an opt out? Nope. If they are told it's safe they are expected to go. So why do these prima donas get to?

[Wheelspin]

I saw your point perfectly.  However, whilst you now try to say that you weren't implying that they had given it no thought, that was precisely how your previous post read.

Why should anyone be asked to expose themselves to potential future health problems just to show solidarity.  Stupidity more like.

The difference is that the average Japanese citizen has no choice in the matter.  They are at risk whether they like it or not.  If given a choice, I doubt they'd choose to be there either.

As for all the other GP staff, they have exactly the same choice.  No one can force them to travel.  The only difference is that the riders are a little more crucial to the operation than anyone else.

[Orlando Watt]

[DoktorMandrake]

LOL @ OW. 

If you read, I am saying I have no idea whether they have given it thought or not. My point is this - it's easy to put a sticker on your bike and pose in front of a large poster with the words Japan on it or maybe even go as far as digging your hand into your pocket and throwing a little cash in the direction of this month's world crisis. Yet, when it comes down to it, in my opinion, if it's deemed safe, you should go. I also realise that the press will seek to add emphasis to a story and create conflict and that that is what they are doing here by bringing up the sticker thing. However, I also still think they should go. No one else in the Moto GP camp, as far as I am aware, has said whether they would not go. Pedrosa remained mute, granted.

No one should be expected to expose themselves to present or future health problems. I have said that already, I believe. BUT if it's deemed safe then I would have said they had an obligation to the sport and to Japan to go. If tehre is any doubt as to whether there may be repercussions on the riders' health due to racing, then I would agree, solidarity would be foolhardy and I am not asking them to make that great a personal sacrifice. I am simply saying if the Moto GP bosses and scientists agree that for the riders to spend two days in Japan and that they will suffer no long term detrimental or adverse effects to their health then, in my opinion, and it is just my opinion, then they should go and race and that the people of Japan would surely appreciate it.

The GP staff do, theoretically, have the same choice. As less crucial to the operation though, maybe they are more wary of the effects on their careers a possible refusal to attend would have. 

[Deso]

1. This should be in the racing section.

2. Don't teacaking blame them for not going.  I suspect they may get a fine, but if it was me, I'd pay the fine and not go and put my health on the line.  

I'm sure there wouldn't be any comeback in years to come if they did have health issues because the powers that be have declared the area 'safe'.  I don't blame them for not trusting.  Best thing to do is stay away.

[Wheelspin]

It's not hard to go to Japan, all expenses paid, and do the job that you normally do every other weekend anyway!  I don't see what that's got to do with a decision on the level personal risk someone is willing to accept.

So if the rider's doctor tells them there's a risk while Dorna's contracted researchers tell them it's not then they should ignore the medical expert that they know and trust?

As for the GP staff, are we now saying that everyone must follow the career preservation instincts of those with the least job security? 

[mikiboy]

Why?

[P.B.]

Doesn't Japan have bigger things to think about?

Perhaps by a couple of star riders opting out, those "with the least job security" might suddenly feel a little support.

"Reuters
guardian.co.uk, Fri 24 Jun 2011 16.32 BST
MotoGP's governing body will make a final decision on Japan's postponed race next week amid concern from riders over the risk of radiation from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant.
The International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) said in a statement that an announcement would be made at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, but indicated Japan would go ahead as flanned in October.
"In principle, Suzuka and Motegi circuits being situated outside the exclusion and evacuation zones, the 2011 FIM World Championships events in Japan will be taking place as scheduled," it said.
The Honda-owned Twin Ring Motegi circuit had been due to host the MotoGP race on 24 April but it was postponed until 2 October after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March resulted in severe damage to the Fukushima plant.
Valentino Rossi said last month: "[Jorge] Lorenzo said he didn't want to go. In fact I wouldn't go there either. I confess that like many other riders, maybe all of them, I am ignorant of nuclear issues. But you need also to ask the people in the paddock – they are all scared about radiation."
The Australian Casey Stoner, Honda's current championship leader, said this month that it might be better not to go.
"With the whole nuclear situation it's difficult to know what to understand and who to believe and things like that," he told autosport.com. "My view is that I think the motorcycle race is the most unimportant thing for Japan right now, and maybe all this time and effort can be spent to do something better than a motorcycle race.
"I don't think we should go. I think 99 per cent of the riders and maybe more of the paddock don't want to go for these reasons."

[bobbyshampoo]

would it be interesting to see the state of the championship by then? if it comes down to that race to decide it lets see who doesn't or does go.

[djkitchen]

Just branch the detector's alarm on the horns of italian bikes... Some Data says that the measurement of the level radioactivity given by the japanese government is a lie...

Excellent point, the Gvt is bound to play this down, especially if it is bad, glad it's not just me thinking that they have an ulteria motivein announcing it is safe!

[cheaperholidays]

Excellent point, the Gvt is bound to play this down, especially if it is bad, glad it's not just me thinking that they have an ulteria motivein announcing it is safe!

Do you honestly think that, good grief its safe they would only be there for 4 days anyway.. Besides they picked up radioactive levels from Japan in Kent...