VOL. 54 ISSUE 20 MAY 23, 2017 P103
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
N
o country for old men? The
phrase rang true at Le Mans, af-
ter the hopes of one 38-year-old
superstar were dashed with only four cor-
ners to go. The shock followed the elation
when the oldie, Movistar Yamaha's Valentino
Rossi, seemed to have seized control in mas-
terful fashion. The anti-climax was intense.
The whole 28 laps had been dramatic, in front
of some 104,000 French fans at the fully resur-
faced Bugatti Circuit. Crashes and breakdowns
had already marked the ground significantly, while
homeland hero Johann Zarco (Monster Energy
Tech3 Yamaha) had led for six laps and was still in
touch at the end.
It had been double race winner Maverick Vinales
(Movistar Yamaha) who took over from satellite rider
Zarco, with Rossi poised in third.
Then on the 26th lap, it all changed. Rossi had already
got ahead of Zarco, and now he mounted a mighty and
magnificent attack on the 22-year-old Spaniard, 16 years
and many victories his junior.
His third win for
Yamaha was
undoubtedly
his greatest,
Maverick Vinales
forcing Rossi
into the kind of
mistake that he
rarely—if ever—
makes.
