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/1490735
VOLUME ISSUE JANUARY , P111 four-time runner-up and had to constantly run the number two like Randy Mamola did in the 1980s. Sheene was the prototype for Valentino Rossi, who never ran anything other than 46 for the duration of his grand prix career that started in the 125cc class in 1996 and finished with Mo - toGP in 2021. Nine times Rossi took the championship across the 125, 250, 500 and MotoGP categories, and nine times he refused to put the number one on his bike. His number 46 thus became the most recognizable in the history of the sport and the face of his global business empire that spans everything from creating apparel for a huge portion of the MotoGP grid to NFTs, gaming, car racing, and so much more. There's a mystique to the number one that even Rossi's 46 can't bring. I grew up idolizing Wayne Rainey and Mick Doohan, the two riders who ruled 500cc grand prix racing with an iron fist, each with a mas - sive, unobstructed number one. "The only thing that mattered to me was putting the number one on my bike," Rainey said. "If it wasn't number one, I didn't care what number it was. Coming from flat track, my heroes all ran the number one. That showed you the best guy. When you look back at Kenny Roberts, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, the number one was hugely important. I won my first championship in 1983 with Kawasaki on the AMA Superbike and didn't race in 1984, so I didn't get to use the number. Then when I won it again in 1987 with Honda, I went to Europe for 1988, so I missed out again, so I thought about it for a long time. If I was ever going to get the number-one plate, it would have to be as World Champion. "For myself, Mick [Doohan], Eddie [Lawson]… it was all about being World Champion and put - ting the number one on your bike. Lining up at the first race with that number let everyone know just who the best was, even if you were starting all over again for another year. And for the fans who are maybe just casual ob - servers of the sport, as opposed to the die-hard fans, when they see the rider with the number one, there's no doubt in their mind who the champion is." The respect that the number one brings is palpable, but it has often been a bit of a poisoned chalice for those who dare take it on. Cast your minds back to Hayden's year of number one in 2007. I'm sure the Kentucky Kid dreamed of having the number on his bike at the peak of the sport, but his year was nothing short of a disaster, as Honda brought out a bike clearly de - signed for Dani Pedrosa's di- minutive stature as the 800cc era kicked off. A trio of third places in Holland, Germany and the Czech Republic and eighth in the championship were all he had to show for it. It was even worse for Kenny Roberts Jr., who's 2001 Suzuki RGV500 saw next to no develop - ment from the factory (sound famil- iar, Joan Mir?) with a solitary third at a wet Valencia race and 11th in the standings the final result. It's been a different story in WorldSBK, with riders more often than not opting for the number one. Alvaro Bautista is the lat - est champion to ride with the champion's digit this year, joining Toprak Razgatlioglu last year, Jonathan Rea for the five years prior in his own Mick Doohan- esque performance, Sylvain Guin - toli in 2015, Tom Sykes in 2014, and Max Biaggi in 2011 (Biaggi would later revert to his custom- ary number three for his second WorldSBK title defense in 2013). Bagnaia will have acres of pressure this year to retain the number one, not least of which will come from his new team - mate, Enea Bastianini. But it's always been so for the new champion, as they are the one everyone guns for, regardless of the number on their bike. It's a new year with new chal - lenges and challengers, but as Rainey says, emphatically, "in racing, it's all about being num - ber one." Bagnaia would do well to heed his advice. CN The respect that the number one brings is palpable, but it has often been a bit of a poisoned chalice for those who dare take it on.