VALENTINO ROSSI
ends the year .l n the
same fashion as he
started it
alentino Rossi e nded the seaso n with three wins in a
row, the strength of his team proving that next year
will be eve n more difficult for the others - as was
today's race . The recently recrowned World Champion led on and off before taking the lead permanently at the midpo int of the Valencia Grand Prix, speeding to victory in front of more than 122 ,000 sun-drenched fans in
southeastern Spain.
"This race is the race that I understand more because, only one
year ago, I was in this chair to say goodbye to Honda and had a lot
of doubt, like 'Come back in how long?' or 'We are able to w in the
first year some races?' But I don 't know for sure if the life become
more hard, " Rossi said after his ninth win of the season , a mar k that
matc hes his effort with Ho nda in 2003 . "But we are here in the
same place afte r one year with the same number of victories , and it
is incredible."
As good as the race and season were for Rossi, it was the
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