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The diminutive Aussie was the first rider to properly stick it to Rossi, walking away with the 2007 MotoGP title in a fashion Rossi had never experienced before. Loris Capirossi and Tetsuya Harada in 250s and Biaggi and Gibernau in the early 2000s in MotoGP were fairly easily dealt with, and while Nicky Hayden did indeed take the 2006 title off Rossi at Valencia in 2006, Hayden’s challenge faded over the years whereas Rossi would usually be at or near the front of the pack. Rossi’s rivalries read like the who’s who of the last 25 years in grand prix racing. Just like Jorge Lorenzo, who’s celebratory sessions seemed to smack of attention seeking while he was Rossi’s teammate in the Fiat Yamaha team. His post-race antics are the stuff of legend-going to the porta-potty after winning at Jerez donning the Robin Hood outfit at Donington Park a speeding ticket at Mugello or, perhaps most audaciously, throwing a blow-up doll missionary style on his Aprilia labeled “Claudia Schiffer” as a direct jab at arch nemesis Max Biaggi and his supposed love affair with Naomi Campbell.įans loved him. The good he has done for motorcycle racing as a whole will take years, possibly generations, to fully grasp.Īs a teenager, I was drawn to the mischievous ways of a young Valentino, and each October my best mate Simon and I would beg for one of the parents to take us to Phillip Island to watch him in 125 or 250cc competition.
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I cannot think of a sportsman more universally popular than Rossi. One truly remarkable in not just world sport but public life in general. I’ve gone from 13 to 39 in that time and can barely remember my life in 1995 as a 12-year-old. It’s incredible to think until yesterday he was still racing grands prix. I watched the races with mum and dad prior to Rossi’s arrival in 1996, but at 13 years old that’s when my memory of racing really began to solidify.
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Rossi has been the lynchpin of my love of MotoGP for as long as I can properly remember. Some, including myself, thought this day might never come, but Valentino Rossi is human, after all, and time eventually catches up with everyone. The great man has finally hung up his AGV. Sunday was his 372nd race in the main series, where he won 89 times and had 199 podium finishes.įabio Quartararo of France had earlier clinched this year’s MotoGP title.Rennie Scaysbrook | NovemCycle News Lowside
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He won nine world titles in total, with his seven triumphs in the top motorcycling series coming in the 2001-09 seasons. Rossi had announced he would retire earlier this season. Several video messages for Rossi were shown on the television broadcast, including those from actors Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves as well as athletes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Lewis Hamilton, Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo.įormer Brazil striker Ronaldo waved the checkered flag at the end of the race, marking the last time the Italian veteran crossed the line. “I want to dedicate this race to Vale and thank him for what he has done for us.” “It’s the only thing possible today, to give a present to Vale,” said fellow Italian Bagnaia, who wore a helmet with Rossi’s No.
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Members from other teams awaited him on the pitlane to honor the 42-year-old Italian after he completed his farewell lap on the track. Race-winner Francesco Bagnaia and the other riders followed Rossi after the race until the veteran Italian stopped in front of the grandstands to salute his fans. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)ĬHESTE, Spain (AP) – Honored by fans, opponents, other athletes and celebrities, Valentino Rossi put an end to his acclaimed career of more than two decades with a 10th-place finish at the final MotoGP race of the season in Spain on Sunday. Rossi will be retiring from MotoGP racing as the season ends in Valencia. MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi of Italy waves at the end of the Valencia Motorcycle Grand Prix, the last race of the season, at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste, near Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Nov.