The Doctor Retires

 

THE nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi retired after his last race in Valencia on Sunday, taking a final lap of honour before a standing ovation from the crowd.

Winner of the last race of the season, Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, paid tribute to Rossi by dedicating his win to the 42-year-old Italian, nicknamed ‘The Doctor’. "This race victory is a present to Valentino," Bagnaia, himself a product of Rossi's VR46 riders academy, said.

"I want to dedicate this race to him and thank him for what he has done for us at the academy.”

Rossi was mobbed by his fellow riders after the race, as congratulatory messages from across the sporting world were broadcast on the giant screen with tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal among those paying tribute. Hollywood actors Tom Cruise, Chris Hemsworth and Keanu Reeves also sent messages of support for Rossi, the only rider to win titles in the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP categories.

Fans, including myself, will be sad to no longer see the sea of yellow flags waving from the stadiums in support of ‘The Doctor’, who rode with the number 46 his entire career, never changing it to Number 1 as other champions did.

The Italian, born in 1979 in Urbino, was still a child when his family moved to Tavullia. He is the son of Graziano Rossi, himself a motorcycle racer. Rossi’s first racing love was karting and he won the regional kart championship in 1990. He turned soon after to minimoto and then in 1993 began his career in motorcycle racing with his first foray into the world that year when he competed in the Italian Sport Production Championship on a 125cc with varying degrees of success. But in his second year he won the Italian title, and in 1996, in his first World Championship season he finished ninth overall. The following year, however, saw him dominate the 125cc class winning 11 out of the 15 races and taking his first World Championship.

It was during his first season when he gained many more fans with his antics after races when he would often dress up for a victory lap, stop his bike and bow to the adoring crowds and generally show off his fun-loving side.

He moved to the 250cc class with Aprilia the following year and ended the season coming in second to teammate Loris Capirossi. His second season saw him dominating the class and he won his first 250cc world championship title and his second title overall.

The following year he moved to Honda for the 500cc World Championship and won his third world championship in his second year.

2002 was the inaugural year of MotoGP and Rossi clinched his fourth title at the Rio de Janeiro race with four races remaining. He won again in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009, securing nine World Championship wins. He and his fans around the world would have liked it to be 10 but it was never to be.

Rossi will be remembered as one of the greats of motorcycle racing and he truly deserves to be. He is still the only rider in history to win World Championships in 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP. He is the only rider to have started 400 or more races in the sport's history, and has 89 victories in the premier class – no-one in the history of grand prix racing has ever come close to that.

It wasn’t just his incredible racing which captivated us – though he had a style unlike any other – but his antics off the track, from dressing up to carrying a blow up doll on his bike to his many theatrics after the races. A cheeky and charismatic guy always.

Although we all know of a few feuds over the years, many of his rivals have paid tribute to the great man.

Ex-Yamaha team-mate Maverick Viñales said: “Sharing a team with Rossi gave me the opportunity to learn, he has been a reference point for me since I was four years old, but we have to thank him for what he has done for being an inspiration and a motivation to continue. It has been a good fortune to share a team and fight with him.

“Off the track he is a great person, he is at the top and he is the greatest of all time. It’s sad, but he has won a lot and we have to be grateful to him.”

Fabio Quartararo, who replaced Rossi at the factory Yamaha squad this season, said, upon hearing of his retirement: “It's hard to believe, to be honest.

“Rossi was already a two-time world champion before I was born and to think that he won't be with us next year is sad. Valentino is the rider who made me want to come to MotoGP, I waited hours and hours at the tracks to get his autograph when I was a kid, he is still my idol now and he is still a legend.”

Three-time MotoGP race winner Cal Crutchlow, said of Rossi: “I've watched Rossi since I was a kid and I always enjoyed watching him race, when I came here he was at Yamaha and I got to share a lot of things with him.

“It was a lot of fun to be able to race with him, wherever you go in the world if you say you are a rider and they don't understand you just name Valentino and they quickly know what you are talking about.

“Everyone loves him and his motivation to go fast is unbelievable, his mentality is an example to everyone, it's been fantastic to be with him over the years.”

Reigning World Champion Joan Mir Mir likened him to basketball legend Jordan, saying: "There was a question that one journalist was asking him, if he feels like Michael Jordan on basketball, and for sure he's the Michael Jordan of the motorbikes.”

"It will be difficult to repeat another Valentino Rossi in history."

It will. I won’t see another in my lifetime. Buona fortuna Vale.