VOLUME 58 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 16, 2021 P121
for one of the parents to take us to
Phillip Island to watch him in 125
or 250cc competition.
His post-race antics are the
stuff of legend—going to the
porta-potty after winning at Jerez;
donning the Robin Hood outfit at
Donington Park; a speeding ticket
at Mugello; or, perhaps most
audaciously, throwing a blow-up
doll missionary style on his Aprilia
labeled "Claudia Schiffer" as a
direct jab at arch nemesis Max Bi-
aggi and his supposed love affair
with Naomi Campbell.
Fans loved him. Riders wanted
to be him. Just like Jorge Lo-
renzo, who's celebratory sessions
seemed to smack of attention
seeking while he was Rossi's team-
mate in the Fiat Yamaha team.
Rossi's rivalries read like the
who's who of the last 25 years
in grand prix racing. Loris Capir-
ossi and Tetsuya Harada in 250s
and Biaggi and Gibernau in the
early 2000s in MotoGP were fairly
easily dealt with, and while Nicky
Hayden did indeed take the 2006
title off Rossi at Valencia in 2006,
Hayden's challenge faded over
Grazie Mille!
