If you went MotoGP betting on the Grand Prix in Catalan over the weekend, you’ll have bet on  yet another nail biting finish to this fantastic sport. Casey Stoner held on for grim death as most money would have been on the Doctor - Valentino Rossi - who pushed him to the limit around a circuit that allowed Stoners’ Ducati to show its’ superior speed over the straights. Rossi gained through the twists and showed that he was the stronger rider on a bike that was weaker in a crucial area.

After the race, in interview, Rossi called on his Yamaha team to give him more from his machine if he is to challenge for the title this year. He says himself that he was racing on the edge to catch Casy Stoner but there just wasn’t enough in the bike to take the winners post.

There’s no doubting that Rossi is a genius of a rider and that it takes a mixture of bike and track to give a level playing field between him and his fellow competitors. I felt sorry for the guy after this race. You could sense him trying to squeeze everything out of his bike to gain the advantage but it just didn’t have it. He would do the donkey work of edging ahead early in the lap but Stoner would just undo it all with a blast on the straight towards the end.

It’s doubtful that any of the other circuits will allow such advantage to the others, so my money’s got to be on Rossi for championship this year - but I would say that, wouldn’t I?