I don’t think he was ever the same after those two seasons where he broke his leg and was involved in the Simoncelli incident. I’d been hoping for a Hollywood ending where he did one last season on a VR46 Ducati and got that elusive 10th championship, but alas it wasn’t to be. It’s been sad to see him fading and struggling these past few years and coming to the slow realisation that it wasn’t the bike or a patch of poor form. My sons grew up watching Rossi, and we have so many happy memories together which involve his racing or antics. Rossi’s decline and now retirement has also coincided with them spreading their wings and starting to make their own lives, meaning we aren’t spending as much time together as we used to, which only magnifies the melancholy. Time sucks. If I could freeze one moment from his career it would either be Welkom or the Laguna Seca battle with Stoner. What a race that was
Pauly and Scud, in a tree, doing what they shouldn’t be...... R I M M I N G *sang in that annoying nursery rhyme, child like voice* Get a room bumders....
There are definitely goats in several different disciplines of bike racing. Rossi came to the TT a few years ago and did a demo lap on an R1 and happily admitted that real road racing was not for him. Joey Dunlop was a maestro on the roads but just average around a circuit. Mike Hailwood was brilliant at both. Maybe the title of GOAT is just a matter of personal perception.
Simple, it’s to do with Money. Back in the early days of GP racing they had to travel 2 days in the back of their dads old van to get to the track, set up the bike themselves, no such thing as sponsorship, if if there was it was just enough to fill the van so they took part in as many race classes as they could that weekend to hopefully win and earn some money to pay for the trip. That’s why early champions racked up so many titles and it’s the same for road racers, the season is short and the win money is so small they take part in multiple classes. I’m sure if Rossi had been allowed he could have easily done a Freddie Spencer, (I’m surprised Honda and Rothmans let him do it even then).
@Ackers That was a remarkable feat by Fast Freddie and certainly in todays racing climate with it being so padded out, it would be impossible for another rider to match that achievement.
That’s not what really goes on at a modern MotoGP weekend though is it? They don’t just turn up, practice a bit and then race - from the moment they arrive at the circuit every rider is involved in a single-minded relentless pursuit of fractions of a second, and so when not on track they’re studying telemetry, footage of themselves or their rivals, or in meetings with the tyre guys, the suspension guys, the electronics guys etc. I agree that the road racers are Gods but of a different type to the MotoGP boys and I think each would happily admit that they can’t do what the other does. Look at McGuinness for example - King of the Mountain, yet when he raced in the Trioptions Cup last year his best result was a 4th. Likewise, Rossi took one look at the TT and went “Nope!”
Maybe Foggy was/is the last to make a transition from competitive road racing to circuit racing, it must surely be a very difficult move.
Foggy got me into bike sport then Rossi got me into moto gp. Wherever you go in the world you meet Rossi fans. Not stoner Marquez doohan Schwartz etc.. That's why he's the greatest ever. Even in Spain hes still the most supported rider lol Going to leave a huge hole.
Im the sad bastard with the VR46 dainese leather jacket. He made Flouro yellow cool again. Since the 70/80s when flu fluffy socks were the thing to be seen wearing at school. For that alone he is a legend. Someone please put Jake Dixon on a full factory machine in MotoGP. He seems like a good laugh and nice enough with it. "he aint good enough" some contrarian bugger will reply. Who will it be?
The John Mcguinness comparison is not really fair though, he's only competing on short circuits to stay bike fit ready for when the major road races start again. He won't be getting paid so he's not going to stick his neck out just for the glory of winning a one make series. Before he became a name on the roads he was a winner on 250cc strokers around all the major circuits in BSB, but he wasn't in his forties back then nor was he badly smashed up. If there was 10k for the race winner he would push on a bit then!
An interesting quotation from the BBC piece on Rossi's retirement announcement: "Rossi, whose Grand Prix career has spanned 25 years, is the only rider in history to win World Championships in 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP." It's also worth remembering that he also competed, and won, in world endurance racing.
GOAT, LEGEND......what he has done for the sport no one could ever match. Even non bike fans know who Rossi is!! One of the most famous sportsmen in the world!! Definitely not a 'woofer' as you put it........have you seen his bird ??? WLF on his leathers fastener means 'Long Live Pussy'
