Pol Espargaro after a crash at the MotoGP
Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool

What would you rather be, the fastest rider in the world, or the World Champion" Because those two things don?t necessarily go hand in hand. Joan Mir reminded us of that last year, when he won the MotoGP World Championship after only standing on top of the podium once. He was rarely the fastest man, but his consistency prevailed and he became World Champ. This is a common phenomenon that tends to happen when the fast riders lack consistency and/or crash. And if you?re a bike racing fan you won?t need me to tell you that plenty of the fastest definitely have an affinity with the kitty litter. Let?s call them fast crashers.

And it?s nothing new. Cast your mind back (if you can) to the 80s and 90s when the likes of Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz were giving it big licks on the GP scene. I?ve picked those two names on purpose. They were both really fast in the late 80s/early 90s. And, to be fair, both world champions. For the most part, there wasn?t a great deal of difference between the pace of the two Aussies. Rainey though, won three world championships (?90, ?91, ?92), and Schwantz only won one (?93). Why" Because Schwantz was one of many fast crashers, known for his ?win it or bin it? riding style. It?s probably why so many people loved him, but it?s also why his compatriot and bitter rival won two more world titles than him. Being a fast crasher might win you fans, but it do...