Valentino Rossi to Retire

mariachi-19

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Not sure if many of you follow GP, but today Valentino Rossi announced his retirement from GP at the end of the season.

It brings to end a 22 year career in the top level where he won 7 World Titles and a butt tonne of races.

Unfortunately for Rossi, the last 4 years have not been kind regarding success and perhaps this is 3 years too late as he's been a shadow of himself for the last two seasons.

I'll have to say i'll miss the guy but dont hold him in the same category of "goat" as his fans do. Fantastic character and promoted the sport better than anybody, but his dominance occured in probably the weakest era of GP and where he was afforded signifcant advantages over his competition due to his popularity.

Hopefully he can enjoy a happy and safe retirement.
 

Leg-End

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I don’t think we should be downplaying him because of his competition during his peak, he did after all leave a dominant Honda and dragged Yamaha to the top. He definitely has stuck around a couple years too long but it doesn’t downplay his achievements and his impact on the sport for me.

Watched him win at Donington Park in 2002 and he was magic on the bike, visibly just different to the rest. Barry Sheene won in a classics race too in one of his last rides, it was a pretty special day.
 

giorno

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I'll have to say i'll miss the guy but dont hold him in the same category of "goat" as his fans do. Fantastic character and promoted the sport better than anybody, but his dominance occured in probably the weakest era of GP and where he was afforded signifcant advantages over his competition due to his popularity.
Weakest era? Why? Also what advantages? The guy went from the dominant bike to one that wasn't competitive and turned that into the dominant bike

I can understand if you rate others higher, but he's definitely in the goat conversation

As for retirement, it's about time :lol:

Was a pleasure to watch him
 

mariachi-19

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Weakest era? Why? Also what advantages? The guy went from the dominant bike to one that wasn't competitive and turned that into the dominant bike

I can understand if you rate others higher, but he's definitely in the goat conversation

As for retirement, it's about time :lol:

Was a pleasure to watch him
Between the Doohan era and the Stoner era, he lack any really competition. Doohan had the likes of Gardner, Shwantz, Criville, Spencer etc through the early part and middle of his career. Stoner had Rossi, Pedrosa, Lorenzo etc. Rossi's peak (01-06) coincided with Max Biaggi?

Once the Stoner era commenced, Rossi was no longer king dingaling and he was much for muchness with everybody else.

If you read Stoner's book he alludes to the fact he often had tyres "taken away from him" in 2006 before sunday morning warm up on a weekend because 'certain riders and teams' who had good relationships with a french tyre manufacturer didn't want him to have access to certain tyres. Remembering that it wasn't until 2009(?) that tyres were not regulated and manufacturers use to bring a massive range of tyres to races to suit different riders and bikes.
 

Adam-Utd

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Whether he's the GOAT will always be debateable, but he's definitely the most famous.

You ask anybody about motorbike racing and they'll say Valentino Rossi.

As others have said the last 2 years especially he's not been anywhere near his best - but he's earnt the right to retire at his own decision.
 

giorno

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Between the Doohan era and the Stoner era, he lack any really competition. Doohan had the likes of Gardner, Shwantz, Criville, Spencer etc through the early part and middle of his career. Stoner had Rossi, Pedrosa, Lorenzo etc. Rossi's peak (01-06) coincided with Max Biaggi?
And Biaggi - 4 times WC in 125/250 and 2 times superbike - was lesser than criville, schwantz and spencer...why?

Once the Stoner era commenced, Rossi was no longer king dingaling and he was much for muchness with everybody else.
Stoner? Rossi beat him twice. Stoner's last title came after Rossi made that disastrous switch to Ducati...

Rossi likely would have a record 8 motogp titles if Marquez didn't decide 8 would be unreachable...

If you read Stoner's book he alludes to the fact he often had tyres "taken away from him" in 2006 before sunday morning warm up on a weekend because 'certain riders and teams' who had good relationships with a french tyre manufacturer didn't want him to have access to certain tyres. Remembering that it wasn't until 2009(?) that tyres were not regulated and manufacturers use to bring a massive range of tyres to races to suit different riders and bikes.
Ah.
 

vangagal

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Truly enjoy watching him raced throughout the years. That Catalan last corner in 2009, Laguna Seca with Stoner, others with Gibernau/Biaggi and plenty others.
He should have that 8 titles in the year Nikki Hayden won if not for that stupid accident at last race btw.
An absolute legend.
 

abundance

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If you read Stoner's book he alludes to the fact he often had tyres "taken away from him" in 2006 before sunday morning warm up on a weekend because 'certain riders and teams' who had good relationships with a french tyre manufacturer didn't want him to have access to certain tyres. Remembering that it wasn't until 2009(?) that tyres were not regulated and manufacturers use to bring a massive range of tyres to races to suit different riders and bikes.
IIRC, in "Pushing the limits" Stoner also writes that he's convinced that Rossi was stitched up in Valencia 2006 - being given a dud set of tyres for the race, to favor Hayden.

Casey is the fastest biker of the last 25 years, if you ask me, but he's just a bit over opinionated on tyres in 2006. Or on anything else for that matter.
 

SirAnderson

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Yeah he is literally the ONLY name I know when it comes to this sport. So definitely popular, considering I've never watched a full race before.
Good luck to him in retirement.