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/128141
""arlboro Yamaha's ""lUI Biaggi Il'didnlt get mv lirst Q bike until' A going to race, so I thanked him for the opportunity, and I will concentrate on motorcycles. was fBI Blaggl sho_ us his new AJplne5tars signature boots that he will be wearing In the 2002 season. care so much (laughs). I'm quite happy to switch to the four-stroke. How hard is Valentino Rossi to race against? He isn't an easy man to beat, but in my career I find that I had a competitor that was even harder, which was [Mick] Doohan. So I think it just depends on the potential of the machines, which is quite important in road racing. I believe, with the right equipment, he is beatable. DO you feel that he will be your toughest competitor this year? I think so, because of Honda; you know they're going to make a good bike. Wh Y do you think that the Italian riders became so dominant last year - you, Loris Capirossi, and Rossi? Yes, you would think it to be strange, but it's just because we have better food (laughs). It's strange and difficult to answer, but in reality we finished one-two-three in 500s. Maybe because we felt more rivalry between each other, and maybe we race even harder against each other. A Q Q A Q A Q A MISC... What is your favorite track to race at? sure, one of them is Brno [Czech Republic], because I have won there seven times. Maybe because of the layout of the track, because it is very up and down with very fast corners. I like to go fast into the corners, and this racetrack has very wide-open corners. Where are the greatest motorcycle GP fans? Q A Q A 22 Of course, in Italy I feel a lot of enthusiasm around me, but honestly I think Spain. Spain is FEBRUARY 13, 2002' cue • • n e quite late. II huge, and over the weekend there is around 200,000 people [attending races]. After Spain, I would have to have to say HoUand, and then Germany, and then Italy. If you weren't racing motorcycles, what would you be doing? I don't know, maybe selling hot dogs (laughs). If I didn't do this job - I wouldn't say this is a job, it's my passion; it's just fun f. me, and then it became a good source of income, but it is what I would call fun - this kind of sport. I don't know in reality what I would do without motorcycles. I feel in life that everyone has a chance, everyone has some talent inside, so the key is to try to find out what you are good at. I was lucky to find motorcycles, because before, when I was 17, I always played football [soccer], and I was thinking I wanted to do that for a career. And then I discovered motorcycling - it's very strange. I didn't get my first bike until I was 18, so quite late. WhO were your early motorcycle-racing heroes, and why? lt was Wayne Rainey, because when I watched videos and races, Rainey was a fantastic rider. First, I liked Rainey because he was racing for Yamaha like me, and second I think what I liked from him was the way he would spin the rear tire out of the corners, and then his strength. D~ you still have aspirations to drive a Formula One car? l had the chance to drive the car [Ferrari Formula One car], and it was really a fantastic day for me. I drove a Ferrari, and Ferrari has a storied background. Last year, I spoke again with the president of Ferrari, and he asked me if I wanted to organize another test, but I kindly refused, because there isn't really a reason to test again if I'm not Q Q A so _ s What's more exciting, your GP bike or the Ferrari? YOU can't even compare them. It is so nice to ride the motorcycle, at the top level. When you are riding the motorcycle you are the man, you know? You feel the,. wind on your shoulders, you can move your body right, left, up, down, you have more freedom. In the car, you just tighten the belts [seat belts) , you can't even breathe. With all of the electronic equipment, you are just part of the computer. Q What do you do to train in the off season? A pare my strength, and then do cardiovascular, I have a gym program. After a month, I pre- mainly bicycling and running. Then, during the season, I never stop. I train every week. CN RACE CAREER GP victories: 37 (8 x 500, 29 x 250) FJTSt GP victory: South Africa, 1992 (250) First GP: France, 1991 (250) GP starts: 148 (61x500, 87x250) Pole positions: 48 (15x500, 33x250) F"lTSt pole: Europe, 1992 (250) World CIIlImplonships: 4x25O (1994.1995,1996,1997) 2002: Marlboro Yamaha Team rider - MotoGP World Championship Machine: Yamaha YZR-M1 2001: 2nd 500 World Championship (Marlboro Yamaha Team) 2000: 3rd 500 World Championship (Marlboro Yamaha Team) 1999: 4th 500 World Championship (Marlboro Yamaha Team) 1998: 2nd 500 World Championship (Marlboro Team Kanemoto Honda) 1997: 250 World Champion (Marlboro Team Kanernoto Honda) 1996: 250 World Champion (Chesterfield Aprilia Team) 1995: 250 World Champion (Chesterfield Aprilia Team) 1994: 250 World Champion (Chesterfield Aprilia Team) 1993: 4th 250 World Championship (Honda) 1992: 5th 250 World Championship (Aprilia) 1991: 250 European Champion (ApriUa), 27th 250 World Championship 1990: 125 ItaUan Sport Production Champion (AprlUa) 1989: First race