Dr Rossi’s reign ends in Spain

Valentino Rossi on one of his bikes at the Ricardo Tormo racetrack in Cheste, Spain yesterday. Pic/AFP

A sporting icon rides into retirement on Sunday at the Valencia MotoGP where nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi's name will grace the grid for the very last time. The charismatic Italian, 42, bows out with his place assured as one of the true greats of his or any other sport.

Three decade-long career

For much of a career spanning three decades he was the master of the art of eking out every last unit of energy from his 157kg (25stone) metal charge to spellbinding effect.

He claimed his first world title in 1997, a year after making his 125cc debut, following up with the 250cc championship in 1999. Graduating to the premier class he was runner-up in his first season in 2000 before taking the final world title raced in the 500cc format a year later with Honda. He added six more in the new MotoGP class in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009, the first two with Honda, the rest with Yamaha.

Record 89 wins in MotoGP

He leaves his stage with 115 victories including a record 89 in MotoGP, 235 podiums (199 in the top flight), also a record, and the longest career of any rider in the sport's premier class. Inevitably for a man in his forties competing against riders half his age Rossi's fortunes have waned in recent years.

For 2021, he vacated his seat at Yamaha's main table to join their satellite SRT team in a straight swop with Fabio Quartararo, the Frenchman who wrapped up the world championship at Rossi's local track of Misano last month. Rossi's last race victory dates back to 2017, his last pole in 2018 and most recent podium the following year. Last season he finished 15th in the standings, unprecedented for a rider who had not finished outside the top 10 at any level since his debut in 1996. He approaches Sunday's finale in 20th. Turn the clock back to the first decade of the century and the two-wheeled swashbuckling showman they call ‘The Doctor' was getting all the exercise he needed climbing to the top of podiums.

The years Rossi won MotoGP world titles

. 1997 (125cc)
. 1999 (250cc)
. 2001 (500cc)
. 2002
. 2003
. 2004
. 2005
. 2008
. 2009

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