Why Mugello could mark the return of Rossi :) (Click below to watch Rossis most epic win at his home circuit!) There is a bit of nostalgia in all long term MotoGP fans and it is usually synonymous with Valentino Rossi. But the Doctor has performed a regeneration this season. He may not have beaten the unstoppable Marquez, but he has had as good a chance as anyone to break the streak. At Mugello its time for the return of a legend! Every once in a while, motorsport throws up a story that could have easily been plucked from a great epic. As the world watched Marc Marquez, MotoGPs epitome of a wunderkind, bomb his way from behind to claim first spot, his ultimate showdown at the front of the pack was indeed an epic one. The only obstacle between Marc Marquez, aka the New Rossi, and triumph was The Old Rossi. While comparisons between Valentino, now 35, and the younger rider the two had long been made, by the time Marquez was breaking records en route to the championship, it looked like Rossi was considerably past it. Jorge Lorenzo and fellow Repsol Honda teammate, Dani Pedrosa, each made for a more consistent rival to Marquez, with Rossi finishing within a place of the young upstart only four times in the 2013 season. What a match they would be for one another on their best day though! We could only wonder. During the opening race of season The Doctor gave a glimpse of his old ways, finishing second behind Marquez. His talent and experience gave him the edge in Losail, with the dust of the confusing, new regulations settling. At Jerez, Rossi repeated the feat, as we wondered when Pedrosa and Lorenzo would find consistent form under new regulations. At Le Mans our dreams were confirmed. Rossis return was no anomaly. A New Rivalry? The gap between him in Marquez on his best day should not be understated. He finished 1.4 seconds behind the Spaniard at Le Mans and has not been much closer to him in that respect so far this season. Presumably once Lorenzo adjusts to the new Bridgestone tyres he will be the best contender. Yet Rossis resurgence has been swept under the rug as temporary for a while. With three second place finishes in five attempts this year, it may be that there is a new, less fleeting kind of vigour to his racing. The next time he will line up on the grid against Marquez will be at Mugello - a track he was unbeaten on between 2002 and 2008. With just one previous season in MotoGP, Marquez only race fall remains last years visit to that very same Tuscan circuit. If Marquez is the new Rossi then, is Rossi the next Biaggi? Perhaps that is pushing the truth. Biaggi had five years of MotoGP fight in him, while Rossi was breaking into the premier class. During that time Biaggi cracked the top three of the standings for all, bar his final year. With Rossi already pondering retirement during Marquez first season, the two may not have the same overlap. What is more, Biaggi was a favourite, while Rossi - the underdog. Having nicked the championship with his debut and finished top every race this season, Marquez is the definition of an incumbent. His Italian counterpart is the challenger once more. Yet, if ever the Doctor had an opportunity to show his fans that his nine-time world championship winning drive is still burning, it is at the Mugello circuit. Im happy because my target is to be competitive, to stay with the front and fight with them Rossi says. He is two points off second placed Dani Pedrosa and at Le Mans the only competition left was Marquez. The Doctor may not be the same match for Marquez he would have been at age 22, but he has thrilled us so many times before. Perhaps it is time to start believing again. Perhaps there is a kind of point to prove for Rossi. A tenth point to be exact.
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 13:59:26 +0000
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