French MotoGP, Le Mans
Date: 22-23 May
Saturday 22 May: Qualifying: 1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 23 May: 125cc and Moto2 races: 0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online Race live: 1230-1400, BBC Two/online MotoGP Extra: 1400-14:30, BBC Red Button/online

By Steve Parrish BBC motorbikes commentator

Jorge Lorenzo tops the charts after his win in Jerez, but the 23-year-old Spaniard will not have it all his own way this season.

He still faces a big challenge from the usual suspects - Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa - but he is maturing and is a very real contender for the title.

And people are starting to warm to him.

An exhibitionist who can come across as arrogant, his 'Lorenzo Land' celebrations after victory have not always been that popular, but he is a nice, bright lad, who, if you read his book, would appear to act arrogant in order to come across as competitive and strong.

606: DEBATE Who do you think will win in Le Mans?

Lorenzo will need to be at his competitive and confident best for this weekend's French MotoGP at Le Mans, which offers us the most level playing field we have had so far.

Unusually, the weather forecast is good, both Rossi and Lorenzo are over their injuries, and the teams have also had a day of testing after Jerez. Everyone should be prepared.

Everyone, that is, except Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista, who is the latest rider to suffer an injury while motocrossing.

The 25-year-old Spaniard has been lucky. If you are going to break something, then the collarbone is the best bone to fracture. The injury will not cause him too much pain if he has the right treatment and it is strapped up properly.

Lorenzo wins in Jerez

Still, I would not allow my riders to go motocrossing.

It is nice to have some fun and it is a very exhilarating sport, but if it goes wrong and a rider crashes, it can ruin their season.

Most people would probably think riding a motocross bike at 40mph is safer than riding a MotoGP bike at 200mph. Sure, you are less likely to die while motocrossing but you can still break bones easily if you fall off.

That said, it is a great form of training - more fun than pounding weights in a gym - and motocross riders are probably the fittest of any sportsmen I know.

I've had a look around the re-designed Silverstone, the venue for this year's British Grand Prix on 20 June.

It is quite a tricky and technical track, which will take a bit of learning, but there are some intricate corners and lots of passing places, which will make for some great racing.

Given it is a new track, newcomers like Ben Spies will have more of a chance of doing well, but the riders will probably get an extra hour in practice to adapt.

It is great for the British public to have a world-class circuit like Silverstone. Officials there have worked extremely hard to make sure spectators have good viewing places, but next year will be even better when the whole place is completely sorted out.

My Le Mans MotoGP race prediction:

1) Valentino Rossi 2) Jorge Lorenzo 3) Casey Stoner

Steve Parrish was talking to BBC Sport's Julian Shea.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version