Παρασκευή 6 Σεπτεμβρίου 2013
Τη δεύτερη νίκη της στον 4ο όμιλο του Ευρωμπάσκετ της Σλοβενίας πανηγύρισε η Εθνική. Η «επίσημη αγαπημένη» επικράτησε με άνεση της Ρωσίας 80-71 και έφτασε στο… ρεπό της με το απόλυτο των νικών.
Τη δεύτερη νίκη της στον 4ο όμιλο του Ευρωμπάσκετ της Σλοβενίας πανηγύρισε η Εθνική. Η «επίσημη αγαπημένη» επικράτησε με άνεση της Ρωσίας 80-71 και έφτασε στο… ρεπό της με το απόλυτο των νικών.
Πέμπτη 5 Σεπτεμβρίου 2013
Τετάρτη 4 Σεπτεμβρίου 2013
New York-Philly War
The five families of New York City continue to run the American mob with an iron fist, a million scams and a booming resort town named Atlantic City. The gambling mecca is overseen by the Philadelphia mob.
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At least 8 militants reportedly killed by Egyptian army in Sinai
At least 8 militants reportedly killed by Egyptian army in Sinai
Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:25 AM PDT
Egyptian security forces today carried out strikes in the Sinai Peninsula that reportedly killed at least eight Islamist militants. The strikes come just days after security forces operating in the Sinai arrested wanted jihadists tied to the recent killing of over 20 policemen.
Using Apache helicopters, Egyptian authorities struck a number of targets in the Sinai. In addition to the eight killed, an additional 15 Islamist militants were reportedly injured in the strikes. "Eight militants were killed and 15 were wounded when air strikes hit four Islamist positions south of Rafah," a security source told Agence France Presse.
According to Reuters, state-run Nile TV claimed that the number of killed militants was actually 15. A military source told theAssociated Press that the death toll was at least 13.
Today's operations in the Sinai come a few days after Egyptian authorities announced the arrest of Adel Mohammed Ibrahim, a top jihadist wanted in connection with numerous attacks in the Sinai, including the Aug. 19 execution of over 20 policemen, which he reportedly masterminded.
And on Sept. 2, Egyptian authorities arrested two additional jihadists linked to the killing of the policemen. Interestingly, the two jihadists,identified by Ma'an News Agency as Adel Hussein and Muhammad Fawzi, are said to be members of the Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC).
The MSC has yet to comment on the killing of the policemen on Aug. 19, but was quick to deny charges that it was responsible for the Aug. 5, 2012 attack on a Rafah military outpost that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers.
Hussein and Fawzi were also wanted in connection with recent rocket attacks from the Sinai toward Israel, according to the Associated Press.
The MSC, a consortium of Salafi jihadist groups based primarily in the Gaza Strip, took responsibility for an Aug. 13 rocket attack on the southern Israeli city of Eilat. The MSC said it fired the Grad rocket in response to the killing of four members of the Sinai-based Ansar Jerusalem jihadist group. In April, the MSC similarly claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Eilat from the Sinai.
Since the ouster of Mohammed Morsi on July 3, there have been near-daily attacks in the Sinai Peninsula, which have left dozens dead. On Aug. 23, the Egyptian army claimed that recent operations by Egyptian security forces in the Sinai Peninsula have led to the deaths of 78 militants. Thirty-two of those killed were said to be non-Egyptians.
Along with the increase in attacks in the Sinai, there have been a plethora of statements from jihadists in response to the ongoing crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. For example, Harith bin Ghazi al Nadhari (also known as Muhammad al Murshidi), an official in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), recently charged that the Egyptian government was seeking "to return Egypt to the era of oppression, tyranny and the domination of the security and intelligence agencies."
On Aug. 17, jihadist ideologue Abu Sa'ad al 'Amili posted a series of tweets to his Twitter account urging Egyptian Muslims to prepare for an "open war." Likewise, Abdullah Muhammad Mahmoud of the jihadist Dawa'at al-Haq Foundation for Studies and Research warned Egyptian Muslims, in an article posted to jihadist forums on Aug. 14, that "if you don't do jihad today, then only blame yourselves tomorrow."
Similarly, on Aug. 15, Abu Hafs al Maqdisi, the leader of the Gaza-based Jaish al Ummah (Army of the Nation), called on Egyptians to wage "jihad" against Egyptian army commander General Abdul Fattah el Sisi. Four days later, al Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, urged Egyptian Muslims to "pick up arms and defend yourself." In addition, on Aug. 30, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant called on Egyptians to wage 'jihad' against army.
And on Aug. 22, al Salafiyya al Jihadiyya in Sinai released a statement that called on Muslims to fight the "apostate" Egyptian army. The communiqué was particularly notable as last fall the group said: "[T]he army and the police are not our targets and that our weapons are directed at the enemies and the enemies of our Ummah the Jews." More recently, in mid-May, the jihadist group said: "[T]he target of the Salafist Jihadist current in Sinai is the Zionist enemy and its operations are directed to them, and the Egyptian soldiers are not a target for us."
Still more questions about the proposed US military intervention in Syria
Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:05 AM PDT
Immediately after President Barack Obama's announcement on Saturday that he would seek Congressional authorization for the use of force in a military intervention in Syria, the administration launched a full-press effort to lobby lawmakers on the issue. According to The New York Times, about 80 lawmakers attended a classified briefing on Sunday, but some members of both political parties emerged from the briefing unconvinced that the draft resolution was ready for approval.
The resolution blames the Assad regime for the chemical attack in Damascus on Aug. 21 that killed at least 1,000 people, and says the objective for the US' use of force "should be to deter, disrupt, and degrade the potential for future uses of, chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction."
Several days ago, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stated that US military forces are ready to execute a command to strike at Syria. On Saturday, President Obama said that General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has indicated to him that the US capacity to execute a military intervention in Syria "is not time-sensitive" and that "[i]t will be effective tomorrow, or next week, or one month from now."
The US is also being pressured by allies Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and South Korea, among others, to move forward with the planned military intervention. Their reasons include concerns that a US failure to enforce a "red line" against the use of chemical weapons in Syria now may signal weakness to Iran and North Korea, encouraging them further.
With the momentum building for the proposed US intervention, despite setbacks including the UK Parliament's vote against intervention, anda failure by the Arab League to clearly endorse such action, it is time to ask some hard questions:
1. The administration is convinced that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons, and President Obama said military force is necessary. But the administration has not articulated a policy towards Syria. What outcome does the administration hope to obtain by conducting strikes?
2. Despite claims to the contrary, does the administration seek to overthrow the Assad regime? Does it seek to deny the regime the ability to launch future chemical attacks? Or does it wish to punish the regime, and launch attacks as part of a deterrent?
If the US seeks to overthrow the government, or if as a result of the strikes the rebel forces are able to sufficiently capitalize on the intervention to succeed in overthrowing the regime, who moves in to govern Syria? Some policy analysts believe the Free Syrian Army and the overarching Syrian Opposition Council are effective partners. But as we have documented numerous times at LWJ, the FSA and SOC often collude with al Qaeda's affiliates and other Islamist groups [see LWJ report, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant leads charge to take Syrian airport.]
3. How would overthrowing the government effectively secure Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons? Is the US willing to send tens of thousands of troops into Syria to secure those stockpiles, which are thought to be stored in numerous locations? Keep in mind that a recent declassified intelligence assessment said that the US has lost track of said weapons. And back in early May, the Daily Beast reportedthat "the Syrian military has transferred more and more of its stock of sarin and mustard gas from storage sites to trucks where they are being moved around the country," and as a result "the U.S. military and intelligence community are quietly acknowledging that the United States does not know where many of those weapons are located."
The US will have few, if any, partners to occupy Syria; Britain isn't even willing to conduct airstrikes. And what happens when al Qaeda and other Islamist groups begin attacking US forces?
4. If the US seeks to deny the Assad regime the ability to launch future chemical strikes, but is unwilling to overthrow the regime, occupy the country, and physically secure the weapons, just how would an air campaign achieve this? The attacks in Damascus were launched with mortars and rockets. Does the administration believe it can take out every small platform in Syria?
5. If the US intervention seeks to punish the regime in the hope that a "body blow" will deter it from launching another attack, what happens if the Assad regime is undeterred? What if the regime actually views the US's airstrikes and unwillingness to commit ground forces as a sign of weakness?
6. What is the US plan for the not-so-implausible scenario that rebel forces, and in particular those associated with al Qaeda, have already procured and possibly used chemical weapons in Syria?
7. What is the US plan for the likelihood that a strike on Syria, which is already the site of a proxy war, ignites a regional war, as the various parties seek to retaliate?
8. If the US intends to attack the Assad regime, is it not important that the US have a clear case for intervention? Despite claims by American, French, and British officials that the evidence is clear and compelling for their accusation that the Assad regime is to blame for the Aug. 21 chemical attack, intelligence reports released by the governments of the US, the UK, and France have all relied essentially on circumstantial evidence.
A more general sense of imminent danger regarding the custody and alleged use of Syria's extensive chemical weapons might well justify some kind of intervention, but it would have to be approached and presented differently.
Decisionmakers contemplating a military strike on Syria in the wake of the regime's alleged use of chemical weapons must keep at least two basic considerations in mind:
If the US wants to ensure that the regime cannot use its chemical weapons, the regime must be removed.
And if the US is seeking also to ensure that the weapons do not fall into the wrong hands, the US and allies must take possession of those weapons, and that would require a significant number of boots on the ground.
Τρίτη 3 Σεπτεμβρίου 2013
Δευτέρα 2 Σεπτεμβρίου 2013
Egyptian Muslims attack a Coptic church and topple a cross as President Morsi's supporters blame Christians for his downfall
Egyptian Muslims attack a Coptic church and topple a cross as President Morsi's supporters blame Christians for his downfall
New video shows attack on church in Sohag diocese, southern Egypt
Muslim Brotherhood supporters blame Egypt's ten per cent Christian population for ousting of president
Christians say violent attacks on Coptic churches commonplace since Morsi's downfall on July 3
By ELLIE BUCHDAHL
PUBLISHED: 17:55 GMT, 31 August 2013 | UPDATED: 22:06 GMT, 31 August 2013
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Fresh video has emerged from Egypt showing the storming of a Coptic church, apparently proving claims that supporters of former President Mohammed Morsi have been laying waste to Christian churches.
The shocking footage shows a Muslim mob storming the church in the southern Egyptian city of Sohag, smashing furniture and walls and torching cars as they go.
Finally a man scrambles up to the top of an archway and batters a cross down into the courtyard below.
Scroll down for video
Torched: The attackers set fire to cars within the church compound
More gang members then surround the fallen cross and pulverise it with sticks.
The six-minute video, obtained by MidEast Christian news, was shot on August 14.
On the same day in Cairo, pro-Morsi street camps erupted into protest and security forces shot dead more than 600 people, sparking yet more violence and bloodshed across Egypt.
The news site claims that the crowd - apparently made up of men and some children - had become enraged by the eviction of pro-Morsi supporters from the Cairo camps.
Mob break into door of Coptic Church of St. George in Sohag,...
The video begins from a vantage point outside the church walls.
Subtitles explain that the attackers entered the church and chanted 'We sacrifice our souls and blood to save Islam'.
The view then moves inside the church, where, according to subtitles, 'One of the attackers ordered his partner to break the cross.'
Muslim mob attacks Coptic church in Egyptian city of Sohag
Amid billowing black smoke, one man helps another to climb to the cross at the top of an arch.
'They chant "God is great" as the cross is broken,' read the subtitles, as the man tears the cross down and throws it to the crowd below.
Coptic Christians say dozens of their churches have been attacked by members and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood following the ousting of Morsi on July 3.
Critics say the former president was aiming to turn Egypt into an Islamist state.
More...
'It was hot and humid, and breathing was not easy': Photographer descends into the tunnels that Egypt are hoping to destroy
Putin urges U.S. to hold off on military action against Syria and says it would be 'utter nonsense' for Assad to use chemical weapons
Christians make up about ten percent of Egypt’s population of 80 million, but Morsi supporters have blamed them for his downfall, according to Coptic leaders.
Bishop Makarios, a Coptic leader from Minya, accused Muslim Brotherhood leaders of planning attacks on Christian churches, homes and businesses in an effort to further divide the nation.
Toppled: A man who has scaled an archway in the church breaks down the cross
The man smashes the cross with a stick as he stands above the crowd
The cross is pushed off the top of the arch into the courtyard below
The waiting crowd surrounds the cross and breaks it into pieces with shouts of 'God is great'
'We were expecting this scenario weeks before sit-ins were broken up, as it was evident of the incitement being made by Brotherhood leaders against Copts,' Makarious told MidEast Christian News.
'We were then surprised by the systematic attacks on churches and Copts’ properties, many of them occurring at the same time in different places, in a series of attacks made under a plan they called "Plan B", which targeted all churches to be burned and destroyed.'
The provisional military government has pledged to rebuild Christian churches destroyed by mobs.
ΞΥΠΝΗΣΤΕ! ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗΘΕΙΤΕ! ΚΙΝΗΤΟΠΟΙΗΘΕΙΤΕ!
ΣΦΑΓΙΑΖΟΥΝ ΤΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΟΥΣ ΣΤΗ ΣΥΡΙΑ...
Ισοπεδώνουν… την Χριστιανοσύνη στη Συρία και η διεθνής κοινότητα παρακολουθεί παθητικά τις εξελίξεις…
Που είναι ο ΟΗΕ; Που είναι η προηγμένες χώρες που ΄΄προασπίζουν ΄΄την ανθρωπότητα από επικίνδυνες ομάδες και από τη λαίλαπα φανατισμένων και άρρωστων εξτρεμιστών να απλώσει δίχτυ προστασίας, όπως κάνει εκεί που επιθυμεί ; Οι πληρωμένοι σφαγιάδες μέχρι πότε θα δρουν ανενόχλητη;
Και φυσικά αναφέρομαι στην αποκαλούμενη αντιπολίτευση της Συρίας που αποτελεί μία οργανωμένη ομάδα κυρίως αλλοδαπών οπαδών της βίας και του τρόμου ώστε να ρίξει το καθεστώς του Ασαντ ο οποίος παρέχει προστασία στους Χριστιανούς .
Στο βωμό των συμφερόντων της η Δύση ξεπούλησε κάθε ανθρώπινη και θρησκευτική αξία.
Ο απολογισμός…τραγικός μέχρι στιγμής
Περισσότερες από 300 εκκλησίες έχουν καταστραφεί ολοσχερώς στην Συρία, εκατοντάδες χριστιανοί έχουν δολοφονηθεί και χιλιάδες χριστιανές έχουν βιαστεί από τους ισλαμιστές.
Mαζικές δολοφονίες χριστιανών, απαγωγές και εκτελέσεις ελληνορθοδόξων, καθολικών και κοπτών χριστιανών, βιασμοί Χριστιανών γυναικών, καταστροφή εκκλησιών και ιερών συμβόλων της χριστιανοσύνης.
Οι Χριστιανοί εξοντώνονται από τους πληρωμένους Ισλαμιστές σαν τις μύγες….
Εγκαταλελειμμένοι οι Χριστιανοί της Μέσης Ανατολής , όπως είπε χθες και ο Πατριάρχης Ιεροσολύμων, κ. Θεόφιλος.
Ο μητροπολίτης Χαλεπίου Παύλος που έχει απαχθεί και ακόμα δεν έχει δώσει σημεία ζωής, είχε υπογραμμίσει χαρακτηριστικά, ΄΄Δυστυχώς, μέσα από αυτό το πρίσμα οι αυτόχθονοι χριστιανικοί πληθυσμοί και οι μη μουσουλμάνοι της Μέσης Ανατολής είναι καταδικασμένοι.
Η Αμερική των Δημοκρατικών, έχει κάνει την επιλογή της. Και οι σφογγοκωλάριοι της Ουάσιγκτον στην Δύση ακολουθούν κατά πόδας. Όπως η Σουηδία του Κάρλ Μπίλτ, για παράδειγμα, που βρίσκεται σε μυστικές διαδικασίες πώλησης όπλων αξίας 12 δις δολαρίων στη Σαουδική Αραβία.
Όπως η Γερμανία, όπως η Αγγλία, όπως η Γαλλία….όλοι αυτοί, που μαζί με τους Τούρκους, τους Σαουδάραβες, και τους υπόλοιπους κλεπτοκράτες του Περσικού Κόλπου συναποτελούν την … «αψεγάδιαστη» Διεθνή Κοινότητα δηλαδή την International Community, ή αλλιώς INTCOM. Ήμαρτον!΄΄
Η δίκαιη και αλληλέγγυα Δύση που είναι άραγε;
ΣΦΑΓΙΑΖΟΥΝ ΤΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΟΥΣ ΣΤΗ ΣΥΡΙΑ...
Ισοπεδώνουν… την Χριστιανοσύνη στη Συρία και η διεθνής κοινότητα παρακολουθεί παθητικά τις εξελίξεις…
Που είναι ο ΟΗΕ; Που είναι η προηγμένες χώρες που ΄΄προασπίζουν ΄΄την ανθρωπότητα από επικίνδυνες ομάδες και από τη λαίλαπα φανατισμένων και άρρωστων εξτρεμιστών να απλώσει δίχτυ προστασίας, όπως κάνει εκεί που επιθυμεί ; Οι πληρωμένοι σφαγιάδες μέχρι πότε θα δρουν ανενόχλητη;
Και φυσικά αναφέρομαι στην αποκαλούμενη αντιπολίτευση της Συρίας που αποτελεί μία οργανωμένη ομάδα κυρίως αλλοδαπών οπαδών της βίας και του τρόμου ώστε να ρίξει το καθεστώς του Ασαντ ο οποίος παρέχει προστασία στους Χριστιανούς .
Στο βωμό των συμφερόντων της η Δύση ξεπούλησε κάθε ανθρώπινη και θρησκευτική αξία.
Ο απολογισμός…τραγικός μέχρι στιγμής
Περισσότερες από 300 εκκλησίες έχουν καταστραφεί ολοσχερώς στην Συρία, εκατοντάδες χριστιανοί έχουν δολοφονηθεί και χιλιάδες χριστιανές έχουν βιαστεί από τους ισλαμιστές.
Mαζικές δολοφονίες χριστιανών, απαγωγές και εκτελέσεις ελληνορθοδόξων, καθολικών και κοπτών χριστιανών, βιασμοί Χριστιανών γυναικών, καταστροφή εκκλησιών και ιερών συμβόλων της χριστιανοσύνης.
Οι Χριστιανοί εξοντώνονται από τους πληρωμένους Ισλαμιστές σαν τις μύγες….
Εγκαταλελειμμένοι οι Χριστιανοί της Μέσης Ανατολής , όπως είπε χθες και ο Πατριάρχης Ιεροσολύμων, κ. Θεόφιλος.
Ο μητροπολίτης Χαλεπίου Παύλος που έχει απαχθεί και ακόμα δεν έχει δώσει σημεία ζωής, είχε υπογραμμίσει χαρακτηριστικά, ΄΄Δυστυχώς, μέσα από αυτό το πρίσμα οι αυτόχθονοι χριστιανικοί πληθυσμοί και οι μη μουσουλμάνοι της Μέσης Ανατολής είναι καταδικασμένοι.
Η Αμερική των Δημοκρατικών, έχει κάνει την επιλογή της. Και οι σφογγοκωλάριοι της Ουάσιγκτον στην Δύση ακολουθούν κατά πόδας. Όπως η Σουηδία του Κάρλ Μπίλτ, για παράδειγμα, που βρίσκεται σε μυστικές διαδικασίες πώλησης όπλων αξίας 12 δις δολαρίων στη Σαουδική Αραβία.
Όπως η Γερμανία, όπως η Αγγλία, όπως η Γαλλία….όλοι αυτοί, που μαζί με τους Τούρκους, τους Σαουδάραβες, και τους υπόλοιπους κλεπτοκράτες του Περσικού Κόλπου συναποτελούν την … «αψεγάδιαστη» Διεθνή Κοινότητα δηλαδή την International Community, ή αλλιώς INTCOM. Ήμαρτον!΄΄
Η δίκαιη και αλληλέγγυα Δύση που είναι άραγε;
Lorenzo Shines with Stunning Silverstone Victory
https://plus.google.com/106416030475543208959/posts/gdgzfn1wWER
Lorenzo Shines with Stunning Silverstone Victory
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo delivered a stunning performance today to take victory in the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit. The defending world champion made another lightening race start this afternoon, flying from second on the grid to take the hole shot into turn one ahead of arch rival Marc Marquez. Although unable to break away, Lorenzo executed an unbroken string of inch perfect laps to maintain the lead until just three laps from the end when Marquez attempted to take control of the race.
His lead was not to last as Lorenzo fought back a lap later to regain the lead, beginning a battle which was to last to the last corner as the two exchanged places in the fight for the lead. It was Lorenzo who emerged victorious, making the definitive move just two corners from the end and holding the tighter line into the last turn to cross the line victorious and claim his fourth win of the season.
Team mate Valentino Rossi made an excellent start from sixth on the grid, initially jumping three places to slot in behind Marquez in third position. Still struggling to find an optimum set up for the first few race laps, the nine-time world champion then slipped back to sixth before mounting his fight back. With 12 laps to go Rossi was swapping positions in a close fight with German rider Stefan Bradl, emerging the victor two laps later and then hunting down Alvaro Bautista in fourth. The battle with Bautista was to begin with just three laps remaining and continue to the finish line, Rossi’s race craft eventually giving him the upper hand and earning him fourth place at the flag.
The results bring Lorenzo five points closer to the championship leader Marquez, the point difference now 39 as Lorenzo sits on 194, just nine points behind Pedrosa in second. Rossi continues in fourth in the standings, now on 156 points and building the gap to Cal Crutchlow in fifth to 20 points.
The next Grand Prix takes place in two weeks time, the San Marino Grand Prix on 15th September.
Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1st - Time: 40.52.515
"This was one of the best races I’ve ever had. I’m really happy and really pleased. It’s a very important win. I pushed from the beginning to try and open a gap, even more than in recent races but it was impossible. Marc never gives up, even if he’s a little bit injured after the warm up. He overtook me three laps from the end so I studied him a little for one lap and I saw he was struggling in some braking so I overtook him on the corner where he crashed. I pushed in the last lap to the maximum, I opened a little gap but I made a mistake in braking and almost crashed. When he overtook me three corners from the end I thought it was over again and second place but then he opened a little gap in the last corner so I thought "now or never" and I tried and got it. To be honest I’m not thinking about the championship, I’m thinking just to enjoy this victory which was very special to get then focus on Misano!"
Valentino Rossi - Position: 4th - Time: +13.233
“For me this result is a bit more positive than in Brno. Every time I come here I have a bad result, this time we worked in a different and better way. The fourth place is better than in Brno, but it is still a fourth place. Unfortunately I made a good start but in the first laps the other guys between the second and seventh lap were a lot faster than me, but the second half of the race was not so bad. We will continue to work hard, we never give up and are not so far now. We have a constant pace and we are nearly there but we need to go a bit faster, we still have to work to improve our pace. We made a modification between warm up and the race that gave me a better feeling with the front.”
Courageous Crutchlow ends bruising British Grand Prix in seventh
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow showed tremendous determination and desire in this afternoon’s British Grand Prix, the home crowd hero racing to a seventh place finish in front of a record attendance at Silverstone.
British teammate Bradley Smith also demonstrated his battling qualities in the 20-lap race to secure ninth position, which was his eighth top 10 finish in 12 appearances on Yamaha’s YZR-M1 machine.
Almost 74,000 British fans were cheering when Crutchlow kick off the race in a decent way from the front row of the grid.
But riding in considerable pain and discomfort after three high-speed crashes in the build-up to today’s action, the 27-year-old was unable to keep himself in contention for the top six, despite producing yet another performance that typifies his fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude.
After defying the pain, Crutchlow still got a rapturous reception from his loyal home crowd, who were appreciative of his efforts to claim a 10th top 10 finish of the season.
Smith kept his challenge for a top 10 position in the overall World Championship standings on course after he was narrowly beaten to eighth place in the closing stages.
The 22-year-old attacked from the off and brilliantly kept Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso at bay until four laps from the end. Relegated to ninth, Smith mounted a relentless pursuit of American Hayden in the final stages but he couldn’t find a way through and the chequered flag saw him less than 0.2s behind the 2006 MotoGP World Champion.
Cal Crutchlow - Position: 7th - Time: +26.299
“Honestly I’m pleased the weekend is over and at least we finished the race. It certainly wasn’t the easiest race I have ever done and it is disappointing that I couldn’t challenge. But after the crashes I just had no power at all in my right arm and I was also lacking grip at the start when the tyres were cold. Unfortunately that is what happens when you crash three times in a weekend. I didn’t give myself enough time to get laps under the belt to set the bike up properly. The only positive we can take away is that we have been faster than last year. But it’s definitely less than what I hoped for when we arrived at the track on Wednesday. Congratulations though to Jorge, Marc and Dani because they put on an incredible show today and had fantastic speed. I’d have loved to be up there with them and now I’m just looking forward to a few quiet days at home before we go to Misano where I hope to fighting closer to the front again.”
Bradley Smith - Position: 9th - Time: +36.119
“I was very pleased with my start and we decided to race with the softer rear tyre option, as we were lacking a bit of grip during the whole weekend. I wanted the sun to come out but unfortunately the temperatures remained cold and after just three laps we already knew that the race would be difficult one. Probably the hard tyre would have been the right choice but we did not have enough time to evaluate it yesterday. We did what we could and even if I didn’t want to finish behind Nicky, I decided it was safer the finish the race after Andrea crashed out just in front of me. All in all it has been a tough weekend but riding in front of nearly 75.000 British here today has been an incredible feeling.”
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo delivered a stunning performance today to take victory in the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit. The defending world champion made another lightening race start this afternoon, flying from second on the grid to take the hole shot into turn one ahead of arch rival Marc Marquez. Although unable to break away, Lorenzo executed an unbroken string of inch perfect laps to maintain the lead until just three laps from the end when Marquez attempted to take control of the race.
His lead was not to last as Lorenzo fought back a lap later to regain the lead, beginning a battle which was to last to the last corner as the two exchanged places in the fight for the lead. It was Lorenzo who emerged victorious, making the definitive move just two corners from the end and holding the tighter line into the last turn to cross the line victorious and claim his fourth win of the season.
Team mate Valentino Rossi made an excellent start from sixth on the grid, initially jumping three places to slot in behind Marquez in third position. Still struggling to find an optimum set up for the first few race laps, the nine-time world champion then slipped back to sixth before mounting his fight back. With 12 laps to go Rossi was swapping positions in a close fight with German rider Stefan Bradl, emerging the victor two laps later and then hunting down Alvaro Bautista in fourth. The battle with Bautista was to begin with just three laps remaining and continue to the finish line, Rossi’s race craft eventually giving him the upper hand and earning him fourth place at the flag.
The results bring Lorenzo five points closer to the championship leader Marquez, the point difference now 39 as Lorenzo sits on 194, just nine points behind Pedrosa in second. Rossi continues in fourth in the standings, now on 156 points and building the gap to Cal Crutchlow in fifth to 20 points.
The next Grand Prix takes place in two weeks time, the San Marino Grand Prix on 15th September.
Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1st - Time: 40.52.515
"This was one of the best races I’ve ever had. I’m really happy and really pleased. It’s a very important win. I pushed from the beginning to try and open a gap, even more than in recent races but it was impossible. Marc never gives up, even if he’s a little bit injured after the warm up. He overtook me three laps from the end so I studied him a little for one lap and I saw he was struggling in some braking so I overtook him on the corner where he crashed. I pushed in the last lap to the maximum, I opened a little gap but I made a mistake in braking and almost crashed. When he overtook me three corners from the end I thought it was over again and second place but then he opened a little gap in the last corner so I thought "now or never" and I tried and got it. To be honest I’m not thinking about the championship, I’m thinking just to enjoy this victory which was very special to get then focus on Misano!"
Valentino Rossi - Position: 4th - Time: +13.233
“For me this result is a bit more positive than in Brno. Every time I come here I have a bad result, this time we worked in a different and better way. The fourth place is better than in Brno, but it is still a fourth place. Unfortunately I made a good start but in the first laps the other guys between the second and seventh lap were a lot faster than me, but the second half of the race was not so bad. We will continue to work hard, we never give up and are not so far now. We have a constant pace and we are nearly there but we need to go a bit faster, we still have to work to improve our pace. We made a modification between warm up and the race that gave me a better feeling with the front.”
Courageous Crutchlow ends bruising British Grand Prix in seventh
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow showed tremendous determination and desire in this afternoon’s British Grand Prix, the home crowd hero racing to a seventh place finish in front of a record attendance at Silverstone.
British teammate Bradley Smith also demonstrated his battling qualities in the 20-lap race to secure ninth position, which was his eighth top 10 finish in 12 appearances on Yamaha’s YZR-M1 machine.
Almost 74,000 British fans were cheering when Crutchlow kick off the race in a decent way from the front row of the grid.
But riding in considerable pain and discomfort after three high-speed crashes in the build-up to today’s action, the 27-year-old was unable to keep himself in contention for the top six, despite producing yet another performance that typifies his fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude.
After defying the pain, Crutchlow still got a rapturous reception from his loyal home crowd, who were appreciative of his efforts to claim a 10th top 10 finish of the season.
Smith kept his challenge for a top 10 position in the overall World Championship standings on course after he was narrowly beaten to eighth place in the closing stages.
The 22-year-old attacked from the off and brilliantly kept Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso at bay until four laps from the end. Relegated to ninth, Smith mounted a relentless pursuit of American Hayden in the final stages but he couldn’t find a way through and the chequered flag saw him less than 0.2s behind the 2006 MotoGP World Champion.
Cal Crutchlow - Position: 7th - Time: +26.299
“Honestly I’m pleased the weekend is over and at least we finished the race. It certainly wasn’t the easiest race I have ever done and it is disappointing that I couldn’t challenge. But after the crashes I just had no power at all in my right arm and I was also lacking grip at the start when the tyres were cold. Unfortunately that is what happens when you crash three times in a weekend. I didn’t give myself enough time to get laps under the belt to set the bike up properly. The only positive we can take away is that we have been faster than last year. But it’s definitely less than what I hoped for when we arrived at the track on Wednesday. Congratulations though to Jorge, Marc and Dani because they put on an incredible show today and had fantastic speed. I’d have loved to be up there with them and now I’m just looking forward to a few quiet days at home before we go to Misano where I hope to fighting closer to the front again.”
Bradley Smith - Position: 9th - Time: +36.119
“I was very pleased with my start and we decided to race with the softer rear tyre option, as we were lacking a bit of grip during the whole weekend. I wanted the sun to come out but unfortunately the temperatures remained cold and after just three laps we already knew that the race would be difficult one. Probably the hard tyre would have been the right choice but we did not have enough time to evaluate it yesterday. We did what we could and even if I didn’t want to finish behind Nicky, I decided it was safer the finish the race after Andrea crashed out just in front of me. All in all it has been a tough weekend but riding in front of nearly 75.000 British here today has been an incredible feeling.”
Κυριακή 1 Σεπτεμβρίου 2013
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