Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1005110
IN THE WIND P28 DANI PEDROSA ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT I t's over. After weeks of sus- pense and a half-hidden flirta- tion with Yamaha, former 125 and double 250 champion Dani Pedrosa confirmed his retire- ment at the end of this season at the Sachsenring's Thursday press conference. The 32-year-old Spaniard thus brings an 18-year career to an end—all with Honda, and with at least one GP win every year since his first in the 125 class in 2002. The announcement came at a packed press briefing at the historic German venue, where Pedrosa held his emotions in check as he thanked Honda, his team, and his fans for their sup- port, only faltering briefly when answering questions at the end. In trademark matter-of-fact style, he began, "Firstly, I would like to announce that next year I will not compete in the cham- pionship. This decision I have been thinking about for a long time. It was a very hard decision, because this is a sport I love, but despite having very good oppor- tunities to keep racing, I didn't feel the same intensity for racing, and I now have different priorities in my life." He continued: "I'd like to express how fortunate I feel to have this opportunity. It's been an amazing life to be racing for such an important team, in front of all the fans. I achieved way more than I expected, and I am very, very proud of all that I have done. I fulfilled my dream of becoming a racer, which I didn't think was possible when I was very young." He thanked Dorna, Honda, his original discoverers Movistar, as well as his family and, "all the fans that supported me and sent messages to me in many difficult situations. "Now is a new chapter, and I am happy to start." A moment of tearfulness came after he was asked to pick out a special moment. "There are many, but one was when I start- ed racing in Jarama [in trials for the Movistar talent series]. I was very small, and I didn't imagine with so many riders that I would be picked. From that moment to here is amazing." He revealed that he had origi- nally planned to announce his retirement at the GP of Catalun- ya early in June, but that an offer from the still formative Petronas Yamaha team meant he deferred the decision. "The opportunity showed up, Dani Pedrosa— the nearly man of MotoGP, but with a 125cc and two 250cc World Championship wins to his name—will be sorely missed in the GP paddock.