The riders began preparations for the main race in the pits. Apart from the rider who qualified third last year, Lin Yan was more interested in the Augusta rider who had been ahead of him, the number twenty-five, who was sporting a new number this year.
Lin Yan found it admirable that a rider in the highest class would change their number for a lower class, even though this rider was among the slowest in the entire Manx Grand Prix field.
The importance of a rider's number was self-evident. Just like Ye Xiang last year, if Lin Yan were to permanently adopt Ye Xiang's number, he honestly wasn't sure if he would have the courage to do so.
With the riders ready, the time struck noon, and the annual Manx Grand Prix officially commenced.
After a brief and swift opening ceremony, the participating riders lined up in their respective positions.
Since neither Lin Yan nor Michael were competing this year, last year's first-place rider started from pole position. The Augusta rider was fourth from last, a slight improvement from last year when he started first. However, theoretically, he should have been second to last this time. The only reason he wasn't was that the two riders behind him were newcomers who had managed to qualify this year, starting in the final two positions.
Positioned further back, the Augusta rider, with his helmet on, turned his head, seemingly searching for someone.
Seeing this, Lin Yan touched his nose and muttered to himself.
Indeed, the other party was looking for him.
The Augusta rider was searching for that guy who, last year, had been just one starting position behind him and had almost caught up. He had heard that this guy had become...
Judging by the rebound of Martin's suspension, Martin's mechanics were clearly not amateurs.
With brakes and suspension engaged to the fullest, Martin executed a nimble maneuver, smoothly navigating the first set of consecutive turns at Ballaugh Bridge, his lines perfectly standard. He was closely followed into the second set of turns.
The riders in the main race group were as formidable as ever, just like last year.
His lines were considered top-tier among all professional riders.
As Martin continuously accelerated and maneuvered through the streets, the surrounding trees and houses were reflected in his helmet visor. The roar of the engine, transmitted through microphones on the street, reached the ears of the fans watching the live broadcast.
After Martin completed four consecutive turns, the second rider officially entered the first set of consecutive turns at Ballaugh Bridge.
His movements were as standard as Martin's, even identical. Apart from professional riders, ordinary people couldn't discern any difference. Even Su Mojin, who was considered a semi-professional, couldn't tell the subtle differences in the movements of riders at this level.
"Honey, can you tell who's faster?"
"No need to look, the first one, Martin, is the fastest."
Su Mojin rolled her eyes. Wasn't that stating the obvious?
Seeing his wife roll her eyes, Lin Yan found it incredibly endearing. He reached out and gently patted Su Mojin's head before explaining.
"It's difficult to see the precise braking points with the cameras in the Isle of Man, but besides braking points and movements, there's another thing you can observe to gauge a rider's skill."
"What is it!"
Su Mojin tilted her head up, looking a little confused.
"When they downshift. If you observe that carefully, you can also glean something."
Hearing this, Su Mojin became even more perplexed. She couldn't even tell when they were braking, so how could she possibly tell when they were downshifting?
Lin Yan clearly understood his young wife's confusion. He beckoned her closer.
"Listen to the sound."
Downshifting engines produce a sound, just like upshifting. The engine's roar has a frequency, like a musical score. With each upshift, the rhythm of the roar changes, and it's the same with downshifts.
Upon hearing this, Su Mojin instinctively leaned in to listen. However, she couldn't discern anything. While she could tell that the sounds had a rhythm, she couldn't distinguish who was faster or slower. She felt like they were downshifting at the same time.
Seeing this, Lin Yan didn't say much more. This was the principle, but the specifics required personal experience. No matter how much you knew, without absolute proficiency, you might not be able to tell.
Just like him, after years in the sport, he could roughly distinguish who was faster or slower just by their movements.
He knew whether an outlet had power just by touching it.