Hamilton has slipped to fourth place in the driver's championship after failling to make the podium at the Canadian and French grand prixs and has not won a race since his triumph in Monaco six weeks ago.

Sunday's race at Silverstone could well prove pivotal in his quest for a second season championship victory.

He said: "It would be nice to win at Silverstone but I want to win the World Championship. I have not lacked concentration. In the last race I was unfortunate. What can you do about two penalties? In the race before that (The Canadian GP) I was leading by eight seconds (when things went wrong). What happened was not due to a lack of concentration."

Hamilton is second favourite to win the British grand prix, trading at [3.75] behind Kimi Raikkonen [2.6].

Hamilton is currently available to back at [ 5.1] in the 2008 Driver's Championship market trailing
Raikkonen [2.14].

You can hear the rest of an interview with Lewis Hamilton here.

The draw last weekend didn't produce the high-profile showdowns that many were expecting. Only the meeting of Monaghan and Derry has that special attraction.
Both progressed to the closing stages twelve months ago and will have counted themselves very unlucky not to have reached the semi-finals. Yet, here they are contemplating a Championship exit that will come far too early for their ambitious and frustrated fans. It's too close to call, with the result that the lucrative opportunities will probably be in short supply. Better instead to concentrate on a number of other ties where the perceived underdogs look capable indeed of causing upsets.

Limerick's home game against Meath is a case in point. The Shannonsiders played Division One football last year and ran Cork close in the Munster semi-final. On their home patch at the Gaelic Grounds, they could well be worth a flutter, although it's likely that the odds will reflect the likelihood of a close encounter. A few weeks ago Down's great win over Tyrone in Ulster had many talking up their chances. The wheels came off the wagon against Armagh, and the Mourne men could be there for the taking against Offaly. Once again, home advantage could be a crucial factor at Tullamore and the fact that few will be fancying the Faithful is worth taking into account.

Two pairings are set to offer probably the greatest chance of a big-money upset. Nobody will be tipping Louth to beat Tyrone even though that game is at Drogheda. And, the Leinster side came agonisingly close to dethroning the then All-Ireland Champions when the last met in the Qualifiers two years ago. Still, their competitiveness has declined during the intervening period while Tyrone should have recovered sufficiently from the blow of losing to Down. In this year of upsets, backing Louth is tempting.

It's a similar situation with the meeting of Donegal and Roscommon. Donegal lost to Derry in Ulster while Roscommon's form has been disastrous all year. But the Connaught side might be up for one last gasp giant-killing act. Longford won't be tipped to do much against Laois, but then again, home advantage could inspire them and the same will go for Cavan who'll relish the chance to visit Kildare.

Apart from going for one or two massive shocks in the games mentioned above, the best options might surround the likely winning margins in some of the games, most especially those between Tyrone and Louth and Donegal and Roscommon. Go for a four point or more winning margin in both games and you won't be too far away at full-time.

And he's certainly talking a good game as the Grand Prix circus began pitching its tent at the historic Northamptonshire track yesterday. Hamilton was insisting he's raring to go and ready to put the mistakes of Canada and France behind him. And he's told the Daily Star about his ambitions.

"People talk about winning the big four of Silverstone, Monaco, Monza and Spa but it's more straightforward for me," he says. "I want to win the first race of the season; I want to win Monte Carlo, both of which I did for the first time this year, and I want to win my home grand prix. Those are my goals and I'm ready for the challenge at Silverstone. We just need to get a really strong points finish. If we can beat the Ferraris and win on home turf it will be such a blow to everyone else."

If he's right then it's the perfect time to back him with odds of [5.2] for the drivers championship this season as he goes in to the race ten points behind Felipe Massa. He's also starting the race as [3.75] second favourite rather than in pole position in the betting as you might expect given home sentiment. Kimi Raikkonen is leading the way at [2.56].

But a word of warning about having a purely patriotic punt comes from another Brit, David Coulthard, who has been around the block a few times. He's interviewed at length in all the other tabloids, and most of them concentrate on his own thoughts on retirement and whether this might be the last time the Red Bull driver appears at Silverstone.

The Daily Mirror's Byron Young, though, gets to the nub of Coulthard's thoughts on Hamilton's growing flirtation with celebrity lifestyle, and a warning that he's becoming too much like David Beckham. Hamilton has warmed up for this weekend by racing Scalextric cars for one sponsor, sailing round the Isle of Wight for another, and dashing to Holland for a third.

Coulthard says: "Lewis is a well-educated, extremely talented guy and a friend. He is in control of what will happen off the track. He has it in his hands to decide how his time is used when he is not driving a racing car. If he goes down a Beckham-style route of really getting into all that, he will end up being extremely busy at the race track and extremely busy away from it which will take a toll. Look at Kimi Raikkonen. He is very private about his off-track profile. He doesn't do a good deal. He has a good drink with his buddies, he's not off doing book signings or celebrity parties."

It's an important point and suggests that while Hamilton could be worth backing for this race given his normal ability to deliver under pressure - and especially with wet weather forecast - in the long term he'll still be a lay for the world title. Given that rain always turns a race into a bit of a lottery it could make it worth looking for a longshot. Coulthard would be a romantic story - and at [40.0] a podium finish and [340.0] to win the race could just be worth a couple of quid for fun.

Five things you didn't know about David Coulthard

1. Born in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, his middle name is Marshall

2. He's put his earnings into property and hotels and owns the posh Columbus hotel in Monaco

3. He suffered from bulimia as a teenager

4. Every one of his 13 Formula One wins have come in cars designed by Adrian Newey - who has now followed him to work for Red Bull racing

5. The memorabilia from his 15-year career as a Grand Prix driver is all on show in a museum in Twynholm near Dumfries in Scotland

The idea was that I'd interview Damon Hill as he drove a few laps of the track in an F430, in idea that I have to say was bloody brilliant. Despite a few stomach-churning moments as the last British man to win the F1 title threw the car through Becketts and drifted almost off the tarmac on the exit of club, it was an awesome experience. Only when you drive or ride round Silverstone do you appreciate its demands, the brakes for instance are first applied halfway round, until Stowe corner it's flat out whatever you're driving. Only when you're there in the flesh do you understand why the drivers love it and what punishment they and their cars suffer.

It's a track for the brave, the fearless, the thrill seeker. An adventure for the fast and furious and a place that deserves a future in F1, not a constant threat to its place on the calendar.

This weekend Silverstone will be a sell-out on all three days and I daresay that most of the 240,000 fans will be routing for the one British driver that has a realistic chance of victory. Whatever pressure Lewis Hamilton is feeling at the moment, and he's feeling a fair amount, it will all fall off his shoulders at 2.45pm on Sunday should he be the man standing on top of the podium. The question is though, is that a realistic expectation?

Last year it wasn't, despite that storming drive to take pole. Come the race Kimi Raikkonen was lapping almost half a second quicker than his rivals, such was the superior advantage the Ferrari's enjoyed. It would have been a one-two for the Italian team had Massa not started from the back of the grid, in many ways his fifth placed finish was the drive of the race.

This year the Ferrari's will be there again, the car goes well at tracks with high speed corners, but the test last week suggested that it will be a much more closely fought contest. That's why you can back Lewis to win with Betfair at [3.75] and Kimi at Raikkonen at [2.6]. The Finn deserves favourite status with history suggesting that this is a track that suits him down to the ground. Sunday will be his 8th British Grand Prix and so far he's notched up 1 win, 1 second place, three third place finishes, three spots on the front row, including pole in 2004.

However, those punters who ignore his team-mate do so at their peril. Felipe Massa is a highly tempting [4.2], he leads the championship and is driving with more maturity than we've seen in previous seasons. For value alone he gets my nod this weekend.

Massa also represents decent value in the qualifying market. Given that he's beaten Raikkonen in qualifying on five occasions out of eight his price of [3.95] as opposed to Kimi's [3.5] is worth a look. Lewis Hamilton is trading at [3.55] but until we get to see the cars on the circuit on Friday I'd put any patriotic punts on hold. Last year Lewis went light in qualifying to grab that pole but it ruined his race, Mclaren may not be so keen to adopt that policy again.

One bet I might be tempted to have now rather than later is for the number of finishers to be under [13.5]. Backers can get a best price of [2.4]. Last year in the dry there were only six retirements out of 22, however a quick glance at the weather forecast tells me that there is a 60% chance of rain on race day which if it comes during the race will cause plenty of problems. Standing water and no traction control well lead to spins and crashes, which in the circumstances make that price very attractive.

The Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, an eight-stage road-race held in early June, is often the best guide when looking for Tour De France hopefuls. The timing and nature of the event - five weeks prior to the Tour and possessing mountain and time trial stages similar to those faced in July - make it a popular warm-up event for those targeting a Champs-Élysées podium finish.

In fact, eight of the last 15 Tours have been won by a cyclist who used the Dauphiné Libéré as their warm-up. Admittedly, this statistic is skewed massively by Lance Armstrong having chosen the race as part of his preparation before all but one of his Tour wins. But dodgy statistic aside, those cyclists who compete well in stages of the Dauphiné Libéré repeatedly perform well in the crucial mountain stages of the Tour.

As I've written elsewhere, I won't be having a bet in this year's Tour until it starts. But if pressed, given their relative performances in the Dauphiné Libéré, I would be a layer of Cadel Evans at his current odds of [3.8], and a backer of Alejandro Valverde at around [5.6]. Not only did Valverde win this year's Dauphiné Libéré, but he dominated Evans in all the crucial departments: taking 37 seconds out of Evans on the Joux-Plan and reeling in Evans and Leipheimer after their attack on the Croix-de-Fer. Perhaps most significantly, Valverde won the individual time trial: the stage that cost him any chance of victory in last year's Tour.

It's true to say that riders have often thrown in uninspiring Dauphiné Libéré performances before going on to win the Tour (Lance only won this preparation race twice). Many enter the race whilst still in heavy training periods; only tapering for the Tour itself.

Nonetheless, I would not want to be a backer of Evans at half the price of Valverde based on a factor as unquantifiable as whether or not one of them had benefited from more rest before the Dauphiné Libéré. But for a disastrous time trial in last year's Tour, Valverde would have finished ahead of Cadel; and I believe he will do so this year.

Among the Dauphiné Libéré also-rans there is more interest in terms of Tour betting. Haimar Zubeldia (not to be confused with Joseba Zubeldia) finished fifth this year, a position he has twice filled in previous Tours. Some might think that "fifth" about sums up his talents, but with two who finished ahead of him last year absent this, the [15.5] currently on offer in the Top 3 market looks appealing.

Another is Carlos Sastre. He finished 20th in the Dauphiné Libéré but is on record as saying he made no attempt to challenge for honours, instead using the race purely for training purposes. But at [20.0] in the win market, and [4.1] for a podium finish, he looks way too short to me. He was only a minute or so ahead of Zubeldia last year and doesn't deserve to be a quarter of the odds this time around.

A few riders have bypassed the Dauphiné Libéré in favour of less popular prep programmes. Denis Menchov, fifth in this year's Giro D'Italia, looks massively under-priced at his current odds of [8.4]. The Giro doesn't have a great record as a Tour prep and anyway, his best Tour finish of sixth in 2006, coupled with a number of unconvincing performances during tough mountain stages, make him an unlikely Tour winner.

Two riders who have ignored any kind of recognised Tour prep are Andy Schleck and Damiano Cunego. Schleck was second in the 2007 Giro D'Italia and will ride in his first Tour this year. He is undoubtedly talented, but [16.5] is a short price to take about a rider tackling this race, and these riders, for the first time. Cunego makes slightly more appeal at the same odds. The best young rider on the 2006 Tour, his second-place on the infamous L'Alpe D'Huez mountain stage that year bodes well for his future, especially in a race that is won or lost in the mountains. But, like Schleck, there are too many unknowns about his ability to perform consistently across the three weeks of the Tour to make his price attractive.

My advice remains to keep your hands in your pockets until July 5th; but if you can't resist, then lay Cadel Evans at [3.8]. That's way too short.

His progress isn't that drastic

Rossi's level of consistency has improved this season but his 162 points after eight races isn't vastly superior to the 139 he had at the same stage 12 months ago. Last year, it was in the second half of the season that his championship charge collapsed and that is still an issue. The reason he appears so much better off this season is because champion Casey Stoner started slowly.

But Stoner is back to his best

Rossi's decent start last season was overshadowed by Stoner winning five of the first eight races, but despite winning this year's Qatar opener, the Australian has had a lacklustre start, with one third-placed finish the only highlight of his next four. He has since bounced back with three consecutive podium finishes, culminating in victory in Great Britain last weekend, and last year, with the exception of the race after Qatar, all Stoner's wins came in pairs.

It's better to pick up a few points than none at all

Stoner's progress in his debut 2006 MotoGP season was hampered by six retirements, but last season he completed every race en route to the title and has continued in the same vein this year. In contrast, Rossi has retired from three races in each of the last two seasons. Although he has completed every race so far, Rossi's three retirements last year all came in the second half of the season, which if repeated would allow Stoner to quickly chase down his 45 point deficit.

Don't rule out Dani Pedrosa

While talking up Stoner it's easy to forget that fellow 22-year-old Pedrosa is just eleven points behind Rossi in second. The Spaniard is the only driver to have finished in the top four of every race this season and knows he can beat Rossi after coming from behind to finish above him as Championship runner-up last season, taking 123 points in the last nine compared to Rossi's 77. A repeat of those showings would see Pedrosa easily leapfrog the Italian. It took Pedrosa three years to win the 125cc Championship; could he repeat the feat in MotoGP?

All Rossi's worst tracks are yet to come

Rossi is fancied at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend after winning it in four of the last six years, but then it's all downhill for him after that. Indianapolis is new but the other eight races in the final half of the season were on the calendar last year and Rossi won none of them, with Australia providing his only podium. Some of the worst for Rossi include America (never won), Australia (winless in two years), Valencia (winless in three), Japan (winless in four) and San Marino, where he retired on his debut there last year.

Finishing strongly was never Rossi's strong point

Rossi has rarely finished the season as well as he starts it, which is why his current lead doesn't count for much with Pedrosa breathing down his neck. At his 2002 championship-winning best he went from ten wins in the first 12 races to just one in the final four. His last title win in 2005 saw him win 11 of the first 15 then fail to win either of the final two. Since his era of domination ended his finishes have become worse, winning none of his final four in 2006 or 2007.

The market for the Leinster Football Championship has faded somewhat since Meath's surprise defeat to Wexford earlier this month. Any punters out there willing to take on Dublin with Meath still fighting for the crown were running for the hills when the 'Yellow Bellies' stamped all over the 'Royals' in Doctor Cullen Park. It's not that we're accusing Wexford of being lucky in their progression to the final; they fully deserved their six point win over Laois last weekend, and their victory against Meath was one of most amazing come backs in Championship history, but the astute punters on the sidelines know that deep down, in their heart-of-hearts, Dublin are now near certainties to retain their Leinster crown this year. They're trading at [1.5] on Betfair's Leinster Championship market.

So, this weekend, will we be backing Westmeath to cause an upset in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon? In short, no. Tomas O'Flaharta's side stumbled through their opener against Offaly in what was a pretty poor display overall. Dessie Dolan gave a typically clinical performance scoring 1-4 - despite being best man for his brother Gary earlier in the day - but apart from that, 'The Lake County' looked decidedly average. They have got a better performance in them, but without Martin Flanagan, they look very vulnerable in midfield. Dublin, meanwhile are full of confidence, playing at home in front of a capacity Hill 16 and appear to have plenty of ammunition, both on the field and on the bench, to dispose of any challenge Westmeath could possibly mount. Ciaran Whelan's exclusion from the starting fifteen shows just how much competition there is for places in the Dublin camp. Eamon Fennell and Shane Ryan continue their partnership in midfield, while Bernard Brogan returns in attack and is sure to make his mark on the game.

Dublin's weakness has always been closing-out games. We saw it against Mayo in the All Ireland semi-final two years ago when they just seemed to switch off in the last quarter. They won't have forgotten that experience in a hurry though and if ever the time was right to send out a message about their Sam Maguire intentions, now is it. Expect 'Pillar' Caffrey to have his side fired-up from the off and Westmeath to be overpowered, out played and out scored.

Recommended bets:
2 pts Dublin, HT/FT @ 1.62
1 pt Dublin -5.5 points @ 1.76

Armagh v Down, Sunday 4pm Clones

Down proved that their quarter final draw with Tyrone was no fluke when they dispatched Mickey Harte's men in the replay two weeks ago. Both performances proved they deseved their place in the Ulster semi-final and they still have this unending fighting spirit, which means it is always dangerous to side against them in the betting markets. This time, however, I'm feeling justifiably brave.

Armagh have been building a steady run over the last couple of months and it seems that everything is falling right for them at exactly the right time. Oisin McConville is fit and ready to go after a scare playing for his club over the weekend. The rock hard Francie Bellew is back to his best in defence and with Stephen Kernan, Aaron Kernan and Ronan Clarke supporting McConville in attack, they have some serious firepower at their disposal. This could well prove the difference between the sides after 70 minutes.

Down depend hugely on Bennie Coulter to perform and have an over reliance on goals. Armagh boss Peter McDonnell seems to have been building for the Championship all season and from what we've seen so far, it would appear he's timed things perfectly.

Expect a tough, physical and gritty encounter in Clones but, for me, Armagh have that bit too much for a Down team playing their third game in four weeks.

Recommended:
1 pt Armagh -2.5points @ 1.91

The key difference to remember between the Dutch TT and any other round is that the race itself is, as tradition dictates, held on Saturday afternoon. So don't load up the site and switch on Eurosport on Sunday afternoon expecting to see MotoGP because you're going to be sorely disappointed when you find volleyball. And that's indoor volleyball as well. Race on Saturday. Make a note.

There's so much to digest from Donington last week it's hard to know where to start. Here's some of what we learnt from last weekend's trip to the Midlands: Stoner is back to his 2007 best, Rossi remains the man to beat for the title, Pedrosa still can't win a dogfight, Edwards is having his best season ever, Marco Melandri is becoming an embarrassment to Ducati, Lorenzo is back, Ben Spies is a kid to watch, James Toseland had the worst day of his life and the English definition of summer remains debatable. So what does all that mean for Assen?

Assen is not unlike Donington in many ways as it is a fast flowing circuit without a long straightaway and therefore the last race should act as a good form guide with the possible exception of one fact. The last person to take a victory at Assen with anything other than Michelin tyres was Kevin Schwantz. In 1991. Four of those wins have come courtesy of a certain Valentino Rossi including last year's stunning win from eleventh on the grid after a frenetic battle with Casey Stoner. But with both Rossi and Stoner on Bridgestones, Michelin's streak may be coming to an end.

Last weekend, Stoner was simply awesome. He was so dominating that even Rossi himself was left speechless and after the first two sessions at Assen today, the reigning champ has me reaching for the thesaurus as well. Untouchable seems to fit best. Stoner and the Ducati has reeled in so many laps quicker than anyone else thus far I've run out of fingers. The best of those is more than eight tenths of a second ahead of second placed Rossi. That's unheard of. The Aussie's at a near-on unbackable [2.02] for the win and is actually unbackable for pole and deservedly so. If this form continues tomorrow, and I see no reason as to why it shouldn't, that price may get even shorter and Rossi's [3.2] for the victory drift out. The fists-out duels that Assen tends to produce would normally be something the Australian and the Italian would be looking forward to but at the moment Rossi has first got to figure out how to keep up with the number one bike.

And so we find the man second in the title hunt, Dani Pedrosa, out to [6.2] for the win. Expect Dani to be quick again but when the going gets tough he may well opt for the safe podium position if it's available. I just can't see any value in the Spaniard. In fact, it's no real surprise to see that, despite Pedrosa trailing Rossi by just 11 points in the championship compared to Stoner who is [45.0] behind The Doctor, Casey has moved up to second favourite for the title now at [4.8] to Pedrosa's [5.3]. Rossi has taken the form of the hunted. Last Sunday night Stoner had the look in his eyes of a man on a mission. Dani of a man defeated. And whilst Rossi was content to dismiss Stoner as being too far back to stress about right now, he didn't sound as convincing as Valentino usually is.

Looking through past the big three a few guys stick out as the spoilers this week. Lorenzo went to Donington openly admitting he was a little scared getting back on the bike after one too many big falls and found himself qualifying in 17th. But by Sunday evening he had produced one of the rides of the weekend to finish sixth, was celebrating like he'd won and then quite bizarrely set about quoting Bruce Lee to the media. He may still be riding hurt but a top three finish at [2.98] is not out of the question.

Another top three prospect, currently [5.6] for a podium result, is the man who took victory at Assen in 2006, Nicky Hayden. He has been a much happier man since getting the new Honda which has suited his style a whole lot more. He has always run well at Assen and has been on the pace throughout practice, something that has been absent from his season so far. Another point worth noting is that since getting the pneumatic valve engine, he's been quicker than his team-mate Pedrosa, on the old spring valve setup, in every qualifying and practice session. He's desperate for a good result and due one to boot.

And so to his countryman Colin Edwards. You might remember back to 2006 where Colin led into the last corner of the last lap at Assen coasting to his maiden win. Then he crashed. It was objectively heart-breaking. Still without a GP win to his credit the consistent Yamaha rider is again towards the top of the sheets in practice and his first win may not come this weekend but [3.75] for a spot on the podium is well worth a look. His team-mate James Toseland is no doubt going to be struggling a little from the injury to his wrist obtained after his fall in Donington and I wouldn't expect to trouble the markets this weekend.

And so, as always, Assen is shaping up for a series of interesting battles on race day, although just like Donington, they may end up being for second. A quick glance to the dictionary has untouchable as: (n) 1. Out of reach; unobtainable, 2. Being beyond the reach of criticism, impeachment or attack. This weekend we may end up having to add, 3. Casey and the Ducati.

Absolutely brillilant. I don't think English riders or drivers have necessarily ever had the backing they get in the rest of the world so it's terrific to show what can be achieved. I'm especially excited seeing JT doing so well. I remember when he won the British championship in 2003 that was my first year on a Superbike, and I raced against him and beat him on the track and in qualifying. To see what he's achieved since shows it's possible for English riders, and it's a career path I want to follow. He's three or four years older than me so it sets a time frame to aim for.

Do you follow the cars as well as bikes?

Of course. Lewis has been amazing with what he's done for Formula One, and the next step is we need somebody in World Superbikes. Hopefully I can be that person next year. The sport itself is getting bigger and bigger. Eurosport covering it means it will get an even bigger fanbase.

You do a lot of work for the THINK! road safety campaign. Does the extra profile help that?

Definitely. A lot of the instruction at my dad's race school is about safety. Explore your limits, explore the bike on the track, and then that will make you a safer rider on the road and that's what it is all about

So how do you feel about your season so far?

Do you want me to be honest? Crap! We've had a real bad start. The Honda I'm riding is a brand new bike and we've had a few things with it that are not quite there. On top of that I've had a few real bad crashes which has knocked my confidence a little bit. I've had points taken off, mechanical failures, we've been leading most of the races and should have been at least second and ended up fifth through other people's mistakes. We've not been lucky. A lot of little things like that have created a crap season so far

But for all that you aren't a long way off the pace in the title race

Well the bike is good enough, we just need a bit more consistency and a bit more reliability out of it. But we are nearly at the half way point so we do need to turn it around and start getting some wins.

Explain why a brand new bike makes it so difficult.

Well I've never ridden a four cylinder before, I was used to the Ducatti twin, so going on to it I didn't know what I wanted or needed. We've been going on the areas the old bike has been in, and this new one is in a different area. It's also the first time we've been on Pirelli tyres which is a main factor on how the bikes handle. So there are a lot of unknowns and it's been tough.

You're being very honest. We're surprised you say the crashes have dented your confidence because you've been riding bikes since you were five so you must have come off them a good few times before

Yeah, but for the last three years I've been the most consistent rider out of everybody, and in the last two years I only had two crashes in the whole two seasons, and I think I'm on my 12th already this year. The bike itself is a different way of riding so I'm finding out how to ride the bike as well. You are pushing different limits and different styles and when it keeps catching you out it backs you off a bit. When we get the bike right the riding will be better too. It's a catch 22. Everything feels bad at the moment but we are still in the competition so if we can get it right it might not be too late

The safety is fantastic when you are talking about coming off at 170 mph plus. You shouldn't be able to walk after 12 crashes.

The improvements on that are amazing, and to be honest coming off is all part of the sport. That doesn't affect my confidence. What worries me is to feel confident on the bike that I know its potential and limits and I'm still finding those out. If I'd won every race I think I would still feel I didn't know the bike properly.

So it's a big learning curve this year.

I knew it would be hard, but we probably didn't realise how good the Ducatti would be and how far away the Honda would be. But we're still not far away and I'm pretty confident we can get up to second in the championship. The main aim is to win races and that's what I'm there to do. Once we get a good feel of the bike I still believe we can do that. Everyone forgets I've been the number one Brit for the last few years and always been on top form, so this year it has been tough that I'm not winning. I thought myself I would go out and win every race so that's been tough mentally.

Tell us about growing up with bikes, with your Dad who was a legend

Yeah, the relationship which we've got now is so good, we're more like brothers than father and son. From when he was racing to when he came back to England to when I started he never pushed me into racing, it has always been fun, and that's what I need. In riding when it gets all serious and you are pushing for what you know you can achieve then you don't ride your best. It's been great that my Dad and I have been able to go off and whether riding trial bikes or playing golf or whatever it has still been fun

Your life has been the polar opposite of Lewis Hamilton's dad who had no background in the sport at all. You grew up living and breathing it. So has that helped or hindered?

I think it has helped to be fair. At the end of the day no matter who your father is or what they have done you still have to ride the bike. The biggest area he helps in is when you are having a bad time - the reassurance of someone of his experience and his knowledge is immense. He's also considered by most people the best development rider in the world, and to have that in the corner is a huge bonus

So how do you prepare for another race weekend?

That's another major issue this year. I've had such a busy schedule this year and to be honest I've been neglecting my training. I've not been in the gym as often as I'd like, doing the things I would normally do. This last week and a half I've been able to get in the gym, been trialling with my dad, and got back to the stuff I know works. That's basically getting my head in gear. Been at Donnington on Wednesday and just preparing for Sunday

Thanks for your time. We've got a free £50 bet for your favourite charity.

Great - that can go to the Air Ambulance in the Midlands. We've had them on the racecourse a few times and they are the guys who get you where you need to be and save lives. As for the bet let's stick with good times for motor sport - I'll back Lewis Hamilton to win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend at [3.6].

In fact, some commentators suggest (although it's difficult to find concrete evidence of this) that organisers curtailed the distance and severity of the Tour in the 1960s: to reduce the need for competitors to fuel their race with pharmaceuticals.

Yes, unbelievably, there was a time when the Tour was more arduous than it is now. As if 2,200 miles, whilst climbing the equivalent of three Everests, in three weeks, is a soft option. Personally, I wouldn't even start one stage unless a pharmacist was certain to stay at my side, repeatedly peppering my body with every performance-enhancing, and sense-dulling, drug known to medicine. Perhaps race officials, the police and media should go a bit easier on these Lycra-clad peddlers?

It would certainly make punters' lives easier. Because the last two renewals of the Tour have seen some backers lose money as their selections have been booted out of the race. Take those who backed long-time pre-race favourite Ivan Basso in 2006. Thrown off the Tour, along with 16 other riders, a day before the curtain-raising Prologue: anyone who had supported the short-priced favourite lost their money under the "all bets stand, run or not" rules of the Betfair market.

Undoubtedly some people (those who had laid the disqualified riders or backed other riders at pre-disqualification odds) profited, but the events determined a golden rule for all future Tour punters: don't place a bet on the Tour until it's started.

After all, it's not as if there's much advantage in getting involved in the overall winner market too soon anyway, as nothing of note is likely to occur until the first significant mountain stage: this year coming nine days in.

Because one thing guaranteed in this year's Tour, which has been true of every Tour in recent times, is that it will be won and lost in the mountains. Unlike flat stages, where organised teams can draft their leading rider to a point where any breakaway is nullified - or at least reduced - mountain stages leave riders exposed: either they're good enough or they are not. If they have a single bad day on the hills, they can frequently lose many minutes; precluding them from any serious challenge for overall race honours. Conversely, a rider who makes a successful mountain attack can all but win the Tour in one effort.

When the key mountain moment will occur in this year's race is difficult to predict, but it is unlikely to be in those first two days in the Pyrenees. However, those stages will provide useful clues (as will two intermediate mountain stages: six and seven) as to who is properly prepared for the race, and who will be able to mount the significant efforts when the race reaches the Alps on stage 15. The best advice is to watch those Pyrenean stages closely and punt the overall market accordingly.

That's not to say that, long before the winner's market becomes a viable betting option, profit can't be gleaned from each individual stage market. But it's certainly not easy. After years of watching the Tour, I'm still a little nonplussed as to when a breakaway will be allowed to stay broken-away, or when the hive-minded will insist on its destruction. But a useful rule of thumb for those betting in-running is that if it looks like the pack has made up its mind to chase, it can generally close down runaways at a rate of a minute every nine or ten kilometres; meaning a relatively straightforward bit of maths can tell you the true odds of a stage leader. However, be prepared to constantly monitor your bets, because just as quickly as the Peloton can decide to chase, it can decide to relent. It really is a complicated organism, as Paul Hochman describes so well here.

Okay, so Rugby League against France used to be the sort of challenge provided by cricket against Holland. But that's changing now as the Catalans Dragons evolve in Super League and some of the better Union players switch codes. It will be enough to get some clues on how the plans for a tournament that starts against Papua New Guinea in Townsville are progressing.

The Daily Star was unique when it was first produced nearly 30 years ago in being edited and printed from Manchester, and the paper's Northern roots still influence it's coverage of Rugby League. True to that tradition the paper names Smith's team this morning and the England coach has gone for size and power in his pack.

"It doesn't get any bigger than we've got with Adrian Morley and Jamie Peacock in the front row and Gareth Ellis and Sam Burgess behind them," says Smith. "We wanted a big team to start with and it's an impressive bench as well to make an impact. We have got to dominate that aspect of the game to give our backs the chance to play some rugby."

That sets out the tactics, and Hull KR winger Peter Fox getting his international debut on the wing will give the coach a chance to look at some other options.

If Smith does get his pack right then England could have some potential to spring an upset in Australia. He'll pair Leon Pryce and Rob Burrow together as his half backs in Toulouse tomorrow night, a pair that looked a successful combination for Great Britain against New Zealand last year. Certainly former GB captain Paul Sculthorpe reckons that's the way to go. He's told the Daily Mirror today that Pryce can be the "Leon King" both in France tomorrow and in Australia in the autumn. The pair play together at St Helens and Sculthorpe says: "Leon will be the first to admit he wasn't the best trainer in the business, but in the last year or so he's really put in the extra work and is getting the rewards." England are trading between [1.13] and [1.49] this morning to win in Toulouse tomorrow. If you can get a bet matched at the upper end of that scale Smith's side look a safe prospect for some easy money.

Five things you didn't know about the Rugby League World Cup

1. It was first held in France in 1954, the first world cup of either code.

2. Of the 12 competitions held since, Australia have won it nine times.

3. Great Britain won the other three - but have now been split into separate nations.

4. The 1965 tournament should have been held in France, but they scrapped it because their team was so bad.

5. The original trophy was stolen in 1970, but then mysteriously reappeared a few days after the organizers had commissioned a new one.

The Brazilian was backed at a market high of [12.0] to win the race at Magny Cours.

Jarno Trulli took third place to land bets at odds of [40.0] on the exchange's podium finish market.

Ferrari's one-two cements their place at the head of the Contructors' Championship where they trade as [1.2] favourites from McLaren ([9.0]) and BMW Sauber ([10.5]).

After a day of sunshine for Friday's practice, Donington ran true to form for Saturday qualifying and it bucketed down. The rain on track for the morning session had the MotoGP bikes circulating some 20+ seconds a lap slower than the previous day.

Tomorrow's forecast is for no rain but even so, in the end, it may not matter. Over the last two days, it hasn't mattered what the weather has decided to do because regardless of the conditions, Casey Stoner and his Ducati have simply slaughtered the opposition.

Friday's dry sessions saw Stoner a remarkable half a second clear on top of the sheets in both sessions. He sat in P1 for the bulk of the day as he churned in a series of laps below the lap record with the sort of consistency that had the rest of the paddock searching for answers and his price for the win drop from over [5.0] at one point to the current [2.16].

When Saturday saw heavy rainfall, Stoner was expected to come back to the field. And...it just didn't happen. During a remarkable qualifying run Stoner reeled off fastest lap after fastest lap, constantly lowering his time to put him in pole position for Sunday's 30-lap race, over six tenths of a second ahead of his closest rival Valentino Rossi and his Fiat Yamaha.

Chris Vermeulen, a master in the wet, completes the front row and if it is still wet come race time on Sunday, I'd be surprised to see his current price of [20.0] last long. If the race is dry as expected, the Suzuki pilot may slip down the field a little while some of the guys who found themselves struggling a little in the wet, such as Colin Edwards and Dani Pedrosa, should move up the field.

The sleeper in the pack has to be 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden. Finally being granted his wish to run the pneumatic valve engine Repsol Honda this weekend he has looked like the Nicky of old. Second in the dry and fourth in the wet he will be one to watch come race day and at [5.0] for a top-three finish, the number 69 bike will be one to watch.

Sadly things haven't gone so well for the local hope, James Toseland. Donington Park may be a sea of Toseland memorabilia this weekend and the flag of St George has been flying all around the circuit, but they were at half-mast by the end of qualifying. Inside the top ten on Friday, Saturday saw Toseland crash no less than three times, including twice on the same lap after remounting following a high side coming onto the main straight. As a result he will be starting the race from 16th and has a lot of work to do if he's to climb the podium for the first time. In his own words Toseland said: "Basically I made a mess of it...I tried to change some things but we never really went in a positive direction." It could be a long day for the Brit but he certainly won't be short of support.

But the story of the 2008 British MotoGP, at least thus far, has been the blistering and consistent pace of the reigning world champ. Not even The Doctor could stop him. Towards the end of qualifying Rossi threw everything but the kitchen sink at Stoner and yet even if he had ripped out the plumbing and tossed that at the Aussie as well, it still probably wouldn't have been enough. The Italian is sitting at [2.7] for the win, but if Casey can start Sunday the way he's dominated the first two days that should turn into an easy lay.

So come rain or shine, at 1:55 Sunday afternoon, Stoner is the man to beat. And perhaps most ominously for his challengers, he's one who couldn't care less what the weather does. Speaking after his pole lap, Stoner said: "We've always had a good setting with this bike for the wet conditions (but) the most pleasing aspect for us so far this weekend has been the bike's performance in the dry yesterday. You can never trust the weather forecast here so we'll just sleep on it and see what we get in the morning. Whatever it is I'm confident."

As well he should be.

It's a bit surreal really, we travel from the heart of Montreal to the most rural of races, a complete culture shock for us townies, but it does make a pleasant change.

It's fair to say this is not one of the most popular grand Prix of the season, those party animals in the paddock find it all a bit dull but if the stories are true they may not have to put up with the fresh air and peace and quiet for much longer.

Once again the race is billed as a farewell to Magny-Cours, much as it was last year until someone pointed out that the organisers had a contract for 2008 so as much as Bernie Ecclestone wasn't keen on the place we had to come back anyway. So this year could be the last and the French GP is once again fighting for it's place on the calendar which is a shame as whatever you think about the venue - and it has to be said that this track hasn't featured great racing in recent history - France is the home of Grand Prix racing, and history and heritage should count for something. Let's not lose the race and let's stay here whilst a concerted effort is made to find a new venue that satisfies the modern day F1 demands.

Talking of demands though, what a demanding weekend it will be for Lewis Hamilton. That ten-place grid penalty he picked up for failing to stop at a red light in Canada has effectively scuppered his chances of a win here in France. A win that was always going to be tough given Ferrari's recent domination on this track - five wins in the last seven years - but now looks almost impossible. That doesn't mean though that he won't be able to score so [1.41] with Betfair for a points finish looks a sure-fire winner.

Interestingly this morning, Mark Hughes my co-commentator for the first practice session, noticed that Mclaren had changed the design of the wheel covers to make it easier and quicker to remove the tyres during a pit stop. Did this mean Mclaren were looking at a three-stop strategy in order to run Lewis light during qualifying and go for the fastest time in Q3? It would make sense as, with the old design, there was a danger that the re-fuelling would be finished whilst the tyres were still being changed, an outcome that could wreck the strategy. A three stopper and Lewis Hamilton's ability to break late and extract an overtaking opportunity where it doesn't seem possible could put him in line for a podium. At a price of [3.2] to finish in the top three I might be tempted.

But the odds are that it will be a Ferrari win. Felipe Massa was seven-tenths of a second quicker than his nearest rival this morning. He's driving better than ever at the moment and I'd favour him over the under pressure Kimi Raikkonen for this, Betfair's win market offers a best price [2.9] on the Brazilian and [2.38] to lay the current world champion. Robert Kubica will be desperate to hold onto his lead in the Drivers' Championship but I get the feeling that a podium will be his best bet, you can back him at [2.04] for the top three.

And finally just a mention of the market for the final session of qualifying. Sebastian Vettel finished eighth fastest in first practice and with 20 minutes to go in the afternoon was fourth quickest. The young German driver seems destined for a promotion to the senior Red Bull team next year is impressing plenty in the paddock and now the new Torro Rosso car has had some time to bed in, he looks to be producing the goods.

In front of his home fans there will be plenty of eyes on Vettel's French teammate Sebastian Bourdais but I think Vettel will have the edge and at [3.5] is a risk worth taking to reach Q3.

There's no doubt the Tech 3 Yamaha pilot from Yorkshire will be quick this weekend. If he's finishing top six at tracks he's never ridden before you can expect him to be on the pace straight out of the truck around a place he could surely ride with his eyes closed, but that doesn't necessarily put him at the front with the main guys in my book.

The manner of Dani Pedrosa's win in Catalunya last round was simply stunning. He absolutely belted the opposition into next week from the green light putting in stellar lap after stellar lap to be eight seconds out in front by the half way point. It's true that Valentino Rossi had to come through from ninth and Casey Stoner made a few small mistakes but even so, I don't think you could've stopped Dani last week if you were in a jet. But, and call me crazy if you want, that is exactly my main issue with Pedrosa as we approach the half way point in the season, and why I just can't take him seriously as a title contender. He is yet to win a dog fight in the premier class. If he's away early and gets some clear track and time to get into a rhythm, then he's gone. He's done it twice so far this year.

But the fairing banging duels like that between Rossi and Stoner for second place in Spain don't sit well with Pedrosa and he's yet to come out on top in one of those battles as the other's have. Even Jorge Lorenzo, when upright, has shown his merits in the scraps. Pedrosa's win at Donington back in 2006 was the same story. He won it by a sizeable margin as Rossi fought his way through from eleventh on the grid. But if he can't escape in the first few laps, then it seems that's Dani done for.

Moving onto Donington Park, it is one of the more interesting circuits on the calendar. Basically a track of two halves there is the fast, flowing section that starts the lap, and then the stop-start tighter new section that takes riders off the downhill straight and eventually back onto the start-finish line. Finding a set-up that works across the entire lap, on what is a notoriously slippery surface brutal on tyres, is always one of compromise. It's this that generally sees Donington produce not only great racing but a myriad of different winners. Since the track entered the calendar in 1987 we've seen thirteen different victors in the premier class, twelve of them world champions. Of the top eight riders in the championship at this point all have tasted victory at this circuit so we should be in for a fantastic race.

And you can expect it to be between the three riders who have won here the last three years. Pedrosa will be on a high after his home win but after a huge high side in testing on the Monday after the race it will be interesting to see how any minor injuries sustained from that tumble will affect him over the weekend. After everyone wrote him off here last year, saying it was a track that wouldn't suit the Ducati one iota, Stoner proved everyone wrong and produced a magnificent ride to take the win. And then there's the [2.6] favourite in Rossi. He's on form, he loves the track, it suits the Yamaha, he'll be fired up for this, his 200th GP and he's never been happier. It really is hard to find a reason to bet against him this weekend. But let's look at a few options all the same.

A solid roughie bet at [29.0] might be Colin Edwards. He has been pushing the podium and the front runners all year and always goes well at Donington. An early bet on the Texan is well worth a look given you can cover yourself mid race on the lower odds bound to be found in play on Pedrosa and Rossi should Edwards lose touch with the leaders. Lorenzo will be fighting fitness as he comes back from another big fall in Catalunya that caused him to miss the race and may struggle to run at the front all day. But then, that's what we all thought in Le Mans where he ended up second. Then of course, being Donington in the middle of an English summer we can expect rain on Sunday at some point which brings Chris Vermeulen into the picture who took third here last year in the wet. So if it does bucket down as it may well do expect Vermeulen's current price of [20.0] to get a lot shorter very quickly.

And now for the six million dollar question; What of James Toseland? Like I say, I just don't see that he has the pace yet to run at the front of the pack over full race distance. For certain, in the future, Toseland will be a race winner, just not yet. If you do fancy a patriotic punt though there is some value to be found with a look at Toseland to put the bike on pole on Saturday, or even a top three finish come race day which is not out of the question and at [5.3] is far from a bad idea and one that I'll be taking a look at.

We'll be at Donington over the whole weekend to keep you up to date with all the practise and qualifying news as we edge towards one of the most anticipated British GPs in years on Sunday.