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That of Valentino Rossi is a story that begins from afar, one of those great passions that seem almost innate, when at 2 years and a few months thanks to his father Graziano he jumps on a wheeled mini bike for his first time. Little Doctor starts running and writing the first chapter of his creepy story.

Nine World Championships won in four different categories and 115 victories: from the 125, to the 250 and 500 classes. This class then made room for MotoGP, where Rossi became (and still is) the absolute king. Six World titles, five of which (a thrilling story) in a row, from 2001 to 2005.

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It didn't take long from those wheels to the bigger wheels, in 1996 he made his debut in the 125cc World Championship, his motorcycle is a 'private' Aprilia. Aprilia promoting Rossi to the factory team in 1997 and he… Wins the title.

Then the transition to the 250 takes place. Just one year of study (1998) which in any case ends in second place in the final classification (behind Capirossi) and then in 1999 the World Championship arrives.

It is at the end of this season that Rossi leaves Aprilia and embraces Honda to land in the premier class and it is with his official Honda, the Nastro Azzurro, that he wins his first MotoGP title, starting the fantastic series of world triumphs. .

In the 2002 season he scored 11 victories and in 2003 Rossi began a new adventure, joining Yamaha, making his debut and winning in South Africa, the world championship is his. His, as it will be in 2005, which will be followed by an unfortunate fall in Valencia that cost him the world title in 2006 in favor of Hayden. The last two titles will arrive in two consecutive years: 2008 and 2009, followed by the very serious injury at Mugello that will force him to stop.

The relationship with Yamaha ends and in 2011 and 2012 he makes his debut on the tracks on the saddle of Ducati, but on his Desmodieci he finds no feeling and is unable to replicate the victorious placings of previous years.

In 2013, in fact, the return to Yamaha takes place, but the path is not without difficulties, the great rival Marquez appears on a Honda who collided with him made him lose the world championship in 2015.

With 2017 begins the most complicated phase of his career. On 25 June at the age of 38 in the Netherlands Vale manages to jump on the podium with a great record, being the "oldest" rider in history to win a GP. From there, the Doctor's victorious chapter seems to have ended, he loses tune with the bike, Honda suffers, then the relaunch of Ducati. It was time to put an end to the great book of victories and open up to new goals. Vale realizes another dream, launches the Team VR46-Ducati project which lands in MotoGP in 2022 and opens it to a new future.

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In his MotoGP career, the Doctor met five phenomena with whom he gave life to epic races and hard head-on off-track clashes. Limiting himself to the premier class: Marquez, Lorenzo, Stoner, Biaggi and Gibernau.

The first rivalry that creates sparks is that with Biaggi in 2001: to stem the acceleration in the wake of Rossi's Honda, Biaggi widens his elbow and sends Rossi to bite the dirt. Returning, Valentino returns the favor, showing him the middle finger after the overtaking that leads him to win the Grand Prix. The hatred between the two will continue for years, until the handshake they gave each other in 2004.

At Jerez 2005, Rossi and Gibernau are team mates and the fatal door that Vale pulled at Sete at the last corner of the track went down in history.

A "valid" rival of Rossi was Stoner, Australian motorcycle rider, winner of the world championship in MotoGP in 2007 with Ducati and in 2011 with Honda. Together they gave a show on all the tracks and among the memorable duels we remember the one at Laguna Seca in 2008, characterized by a back and forth at the last breath.

We end with two Spaniards, Lorenzo and Marquez.
With Lorenzo, he collided with him with the same motion and made him balanced and rich in human factor. In fact, in 2008 they met as teammates at Yamaha, the only difference was in the tires: the Italian will use the Bridgestone, while the Spaniard will use the Michelins. The coexistence between the two was not easy, both were talented and thirsty for victory, it is in 2008 that their rivalry begins to ignite: Valentino expects a wall to be erected in the Yamaha garage between him and the Spaniard.

The rivalry with Marquez has always been characterized by two sides of the coin. In fact, between the two there has always been a "clash" as well as generational skill. Marc is class 93 and entered the Moto GP on a hard foot with great talent. Historic was the duel in Sepang in Malaysia that cost Rossi a penalty, when joining the number 93 pushed him away with his knee, causing him to fall.

In the past there was talk of a real "love triangle", an alliance between Marc Marquez, his die-hard fan and Jorge Lorenzo, his main contender to win the world title. Valentino suspected in fact that there was a secret agreement between the two Marquez and Lorenzo, would meet in Andorra, before the Aragon Grand Prix to decide how the hat-trick, the three races in Oceania, Japan, Australia and Malaysia would end and sign the “Andorra pact” to put him at a disadvantage.

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Now let's talk about some little curiosities, let's start with number 46, to which he has always remained faithful. There are two reasons: already as a child it was the number he used on mini bikes and precisely the year in which Valentino was born, his father Graziano obtained his first victory in the 250cc World Championship wearing the number 46.

He is a great fan of Inter, the team that gave him a classic collectible card that portrays him with the 1989 Inter shirt.

Do you know why he is called The Doctor? For his great ability to solve and discover the problems of the bikes he rides.

Valentino also has a super fan, a Hoolywood vip who is a huge fan… Brad Pitt.

But the question everyone is asking is ... Now what will Vale do? It is difficult to think that the champion will abandon the world of motors. A chapter he could write is in the world of 4 wheels, his passion for racing cars dates back to his beginnings on Ferrari in 2004, when the Maranello team seemed ready to open its doors to him, doors that remained closed because Vale was not yet ready. to greet the two wheels. Another great passion is for rallies, a fixed appointment on the calendar that he shares with his friend Cassina. The big dream, however, is the 24 h of Le Mans, an endurance motoring race that takes place annually at the Circuit de la Sarthe, near Le Mans in France, the most important of the endurance world championship.

However, Rossi's other side also remains alive, the entrepreneurial side with his merchandising and clothing company VR46 and with the Tavullia Academy, where he brings up the motorcycle talents of the future. Also noteworthy is the support for his VR46 team, which will take part in the next MotoGP season as a Ducati satellite.
What is certain is that the story of Doctor 46 cannot be considered over and we are curious to find out what the next chapter will be ...
 

And as they say at the end of every best film… TO BE CONTINUED
 

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