Hayden - Tough as nails.

[hobbes]

Not only did he win the MotoGP championship over the greatest rider ever to throw a leg over a bike, but he did it with a bum shoulder.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2006/Nov/061126a.htm

Kudos to Nicky, and he played the right card by not letting anyone know about his shoulder.

[Sport-Touring]

[TalkingHead]

He's a tough ol' boy.

[horse1200s]

Go Nicky! WooHoo!

[quagmire]

Damn straight.  I was lucky enough to see him clinch the title in Valencia

[FuturaPilot]

I have never been so proud to be a fellow Kentuckian!  Everyone should be proud of Nicky, he was a very well spoken ambasador for not only the bluegrass but the US.
Congrats Nicky.
JCIII

[ReviveTheWhigs]

Fractured Shoulder+Bent Metal Plate+World Title = RESPECT

Classy move not to use the shoulder as a crutch for his performance. I love his respect for the sport; I wish more riders would just shut the hell up and ride...

[Gaolee]

Gotta love that kind of grit.  Actually, all of them ride hurt, but Nicky wouldn't let on at all that there was anything was wrong.  Not many would have kept it that quiet when they had a built in excuse for losing to Rossi like Nicky did.  It just proves how badly Nicky wanted to win the championship.  I sure hope he repeats next year, even though I am not much of a H*nda fan.

[vguy]

[Liquidsilver]

Met him at Laguna Seca, before he had to go through the gauntlet of autograph seekers... I was just standing there quietly, and he came up shook my hand and said, "Do I have to walk through there?"   We laughed.
 
Then by complete coincidence, I had dinner with his Mom and Dad in Monterey that night!   Class act, all around.   It's very easy to be proud of 'em.
 
I've also met Tommy and Roger at AMA events.   Nice guys.  
(It sounds like I'm a groupee, but I'm not... I just get to a few races.   )
 
 
Golly sakes, I've met Duhammel, Zemke, Hodgeson... ridden with Pridmore and Schwantz... it's another reason I love motorcycle racing.   It seems like they're so much closer to 'regular guys' than the 'superstars' in other sports.

[Jeff N]

Golly sakes, I've met Duhammel, Zemke, Hodgeson... ridden with Pridmore and Schwantz... it's another reason I love motorcycle racing.   It seems like they're so much closer to 'regular guys' than the 'superstars' in other sports.

That's what is great about bike racing. The competitors have a love for bikes and understand a typical fan's love of it, too.

Back in '98 we, the wife and I, met Jay Springsteen after the Rapid City 1/2 mile National. Had a nice conversation and laughed that we were all about the same age (old). If you get the oppurtunity, chat up Aaron Yates; he's always open and available. PF Chili is another cool dude. Troy Bayliss, as he sat under the tarp at the rain-sodden Sears Point AMA National a few years ago, was also quite open and friendly.

If you can make your way past the cuties, the Bostroms will also give you the time of day.

Hell, I don't think I've ever come across an unfriendly bike racer during their free time. But then, I've never met Biaggi.

[Liquidsilver]

But then, I've never met Biaggi.

 Ahhhh... poor Biaggi!   I think people found him to be nice, until that whole Rossi war...

[keystonejenks]

Golly sakes, I've met Duhammel, Zemke, Hodgeson... ridden with Pridmore and Schwantz... it's another reason I love motorcycle racing. It seems like they're so much closer to 'regular guys' than the 'superstars' in other sports.

Zemke!!  He called me "hard core" because I rode my bike 500+ miles (300 in the rain) to check out the races. He proceeded to just shoot the breeze w/ me.  
 
I'm easy to please so that day he became my second favorite rider. If had only spoken to me 45 minutes earlier, he would have beaten John Haner to the punch.

[DogBoy]

More news on Nicky's injury on Superbikeplanet.com: click here


Those Haydens are tough. Remember Tommy winning the 600ss title with his broken hand in '05? The team made that huge grip and his hand looked like it was swollen to twice its size...for about two months.

[vguy]

But then, I've never met Biaggi.

He very politely asked me to vacate his pit row tent at Laguna in '94.