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/128394
The Men Behind Valentino Rossi Rossi screws around with hillbilly '-th. Valentino Rossi, the most in-demand motorcycle star the world has ever seen, charges his way through another season, in only his 26th year on the planet, he is the arthly embodiment of Yamaha's 50th anniversary celebrations. And just to cap even that, he is the reigning World Champion. Hence his latest challenge, just like the previous ones, will be conducted from within a protective ring of friends and workmates, with whom he has an obviously high degree of mutual trust. We now unveil the key elements in Rossi's Human Shield, with the help of Rossi himself. What has not been written about Valentino Rossi before? Well, the following, if you care to read it to find out more about those who have created an inner sanctum for the extraordinary talent of Rossi to flourish. Despite seeing his face everywhere, it's still easy to underestimate the pan-global phenomenon of Rossi's whole fame shtick, which has grown - both organically and artificially - to a size that eclipses anything that has come from the GP paddock before. He's a peerless racer, he's a brand, he's a true entertainer - and he's making the most of it, without question. And why not? It's his neck at risk, his talent and personality that drive it all. But he's evidently also still a guy in his mid-20s, from the sleepy hills that surround his birthplace of Urbina; a A 46 SEPTEMBER 7,2005 • CYCLE NEWS DOIa IY GoRDoN RITCHIE PHoTos BY GoLD & GooSE lad who desperately wants some peace from us (and you) - at least sometimes. For an almost limitless number of reasons, the media cannot slake its collective thirst for anything and everything Rossi. Partly by circumstance, partly by his own design, "Rossimania" has simply created a monster. And with every race win, with each new World Championship, with every new market, Dorna's commercial can-opener exposes to the oxygen of MotoGP publicity, it just gets worse. And, of course, better. No wonder Rossi's logos include the sun and moon, as he must surely meet himself coming back over the horizon sometimes. The reasons why Rossi is simply the biggest thing in our sport ever are myriad, but for our purposes, we can temporarily lay them to one side. What all this attention, success and image building have done, however, is necessitate the fornnation of a shield between Rossi and those who would simply suffocate the one they love. And it has also seen many of his key people leave their long-term prospects to follow their leader into new adventures. Like some talismanic, modern-day Alexander, Rossi's personal magnetism is the kind that can forge seemingly unusual alliances, unify them to a Single cause and sweep them allan to endless victories. h his