Valentino Rossi counts his titles and his chickens
From "The Times" - October 26, 2009
by Rick Broadbent
Valentino Rossi continued his habit of winning world titles and then celebrating in surreal fashion as he clutched a live chicken and oversized egg at the end of a sodden Malaysian Grand Prix. Nobody can ride quite like Rossi and nobody marries sporting brilliance with such quirky flamboyance.
His third place in Sepang was good enough to wrap up a seventh elite world title and ninth in total. Casey Stoner was the winner on the Ducati by a country mile and some will wonder how things would have panned out had he not suffered from chronic fatigue in mid-season and missed three races, but that is another facet to Rossi’s dominance. He has not missed a race since his debut in 1996, some 226 grands prix ago, and is clearly not tiring of scuttling records in the pantheon of legends.
The Italian now has the most elite wins in history and, with 103 victories in all grand prix classes, is well set to beat Giacomo Agostini’s mark of 122. His podium tally of 163 is another record. The statistics are only part of the equation, however. Rossi has achieved his greatness with a DayGlo personality and comic-book ribaldry.
While Stoner was being interviewed after mastering the wet to win by 14.6 seconds from Dani Pedrosa, Rossi was cradling a bird out on the track. “In Italy we say an old chicken makes good soup but can no longer lay eggs,” he explained. “I am like the old chicken, 30 years now, but I have made another egg. That’s nine.”
Rossi is the MotoGP’s golden goose, but the young guns are suggesting there will be an afterlife. Stoner, the 2007 champion, and Pedrosa, Repsol Honda’s greatest hope, are only 24, while Jorge Lorenzo, who started yesterday’s race as the only man who could still dethrone Rossi, is just 22. “This season has been very hard and Lorenzo especially has pushed me to new limits,” Rossi said. “It’s been a great duel for everyone to watch.”
Sadly, the duel was all but done before yesterday’s race. Lorenzo needed to make up 13 points on Rossi to take the title to the final round in Valencia, but could not start his bike when the pitlane opened after a rain delay and was relegated to the back of the grid. Nevertheless, he stormed through the field, passing 12 riders, only for his chance finally to evaporate when Rossi stayed upright after a huge wobble on his Fiat Yamaha. “I could never have expected to be fighting with Valentino like this so early in my career,” the magnanimous Mallorcan said.
The wet tested everybody with visibility reduced to frightening levels. “Today was unbelievable,” Rossi said. “When the rain came it was scary for everyone because all the work we’d done was then useless and we were riding blind.” Rossi duly made an error at the first corner and dropped from pole position to eighth. However, he did not panic, even when Lorenzo sailed past, and worked his way into a title-winning position. It was one of a string of notable performances.
Stoner was peerless on his Ducati as he chalked up back-to-back wins, while Lorenzo’s ride from last to fourth was further evidence of his potential. If both can stay fit and upright next season, then Rossi may have his hardest task yet.
“I think next year will be very, very hard,” Rossi said. “We’re all on the same bikes and I think it will be between me, Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa. On Tuesday in Valencia we will try the new model and I am looking forward to working on the new M1, but I have the greatest rival [Lorenzo] in my team so it won’t be easy.” Rossi’s motivation has been renewed by the new generation. In 2007 he came close to moving to Ferrari and Formula One, and he will drive a Ford in next March’s Mexico Rally, but his day job will continue to be MotoGP’s worker of minor miracles.
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