[roger albert]

I'm with Branners. This is going to be killer. I have enormous respect for Spies. He's amazingly tough and strong willed. I've seen him at a number of regional races back before he was a big name, and a couple times when he came back to our club for the regionals as a bit of a ringer on some old friends' teams, and what he can do with even an average-ish bike is astonishing.
He's also amazing at learning new tracks. Still, a first year championship is a LOT to ask for.
But as you said, Bayliss knows the duc team and how to eval a rider, so his endorsement carries a lot more weight that my little opinion. He has a chance, but to win against a tough guy like Haga on what is probably the bike-and-team to beat, is an astonishing act.

That battle, and maybe Byrne, and just seeing what the beemers can do should make it fun.

The two surprises, to me anyway, in off season testing, have been how well Byrne and Spies have done, and that an Aprilia mounted Biaggi is behind a Xaus mounted Beemer. Pretty cool!