Rossi v. Biaggi

Heavy-Dee · 06-26-2003, 1:45 PM

Being new to the sport I picked up that Biaggi and Rossi don't exactly get along. Can someone summarize the story for me? What's the deal. I even saw a painting on Ebay of Rossi flipping Biaggi off.

dB · 06-26-2003, 2:00 PM

They're both Italians and are superstars in their country, both at the top of their game, but they couldn't have more different personalities. Biaggi seems to foster the image of the elite, superstar, motorcycle racer and generally comes off as uppity and self-important. Rossi is exactly the opposite; the happy-go-lucky hippy kid with no pretense and likes to have fun. They have a long history of criticizing each other in the press and have had some on track conflicts as well.

A famous (and hilarious IMO) event from their past was when Rossi took a blow-up doll along on his victory lap...poking fun at Biaggi who had been escorting a well-known supermodel around the pits.

Then there was the time Biaggi actually kicked Rossi off the track mid-turn. Rossi passed him around the outside later in the race whilst giving him the finger (all on camera).

And it goes on and on...

deez · 06-26-2003, 2:01 PM

The flip off incident came in '01. *Biaatchi tried to run Rossi off the track with an elbow. *Rossi went off but kept the bike upright in the grass/dirt, he quickly started picking riders off one at a time, the way he does, and caught Biaatchi passed him, with the bike leaned over flipped him off. *They have a history of not liking each other, but IMHO it's Biattchi's jealousy. *Biaatchi is Roman and thinks that young Valentino is beneath him. *Biaatchi has won some 250cc championships and thinks that he is the deal and keeps saying that he is the real champion, yada, yada, yada. *But Rossi is the one winning championships now, the only thing Biaatchi can do is b1tch about his bike, which he has done for the last 3 or 4 seasons. I think it's the case of Biattchi knowing that he would be champion if Valentino wasn't around. Kind of what the NBA guys felt like when Jordan was in his prime. Much of the press and attention goes to the DR. because he is the greatest, and he is winning GP championships (this year will be his 3rd in a row) and Biattchi has to go by steaming pissed, because he is getting his a$$ handed to him by a fellow countrymen that is younger than he is, more talented, etc.

deez · 06-26-2003, 2:59 PM

I had to dig up the doll photo, this was the only one I could find. This happened in 97 if I remember right.

http://misterb.speedyard.net/images/...and%20doll.jpg

Crash · 06-26-2003, 3:20 PM

I had forgotten about that. Rossi is the man

Tank69 · 06-26-2003, 4:16 PM

Anyone have a VIDEO of the the 'FLIP OFF'?

deez · 06-26-2003, 5:18 PM

I do on DVD and Video (I taped the race and later bought the Duke DVD season recap), don't know where to download.

nomad · 06-26-2003, 6:28 PM

Quote:

booth23 : I taped the race and later bought the Duke DVD season recap

So I'm not the only one that misses races.

As far as the biaggi and rossi thing goes, they way I read it is rivalry. Biaggi is pissed that Rossi can do so easily what Biaggi has to work at. IMO, Rossi has a gift and is a better rider where Biaggi has to work at being the best, or 2nd best in this case, rider. Rossi is the better sport about the whole thing and I haven't seen him pull any dirty tricks... he may have but I haven't seen it.

I could go on and on and on about biaggi whining how external factors (bike etc.) are the reason he is not winning. The bottom line is he's number two in the league...

As you can tell, I'm a Rossi fan and not a Biaggi fan (at all!! )

abtech · 06-26-2003, 7:41 PM

I see this a little differently. After watching Biaggi come up through the ranks, I see that his technique doesn't complement the open GP class nearly as much as Rossi's does. I think Max is trying as hard as possible, but doesn't have the sheer physics that Rossi has, so many people throw rocks at Biaggi when he bad mouths the track or the bike. I think he would be bettered served if he kept his mouth shut, but we are talking a multi time World Champion here and I doubt that will ever happen.

A few years back everyone was slagging Kevin Schwantz because he wouldn't 'bow down' to Wayne Rainey, Mick Doohan and Eddie Lawson. Although Max isn't near as interesting as Kevin was (and is), I see a lot of the same frustration when running against 'the machine'.

ccwilli3 · 06-26-2003, 8:22 PM

Yeah, max is 4 time 250 GP champion... I'll give credit where credit is due...

I read an article in RRW a while back about him being a 'front wheel' rider and that was almost superior in the 250 world as the smooth flowing lines and high cornerspeed are king. Then they went on to contrast how doohan, rossi, roberts even, were rear wheel riders and could 'steer the rear' and how max couldn't or didn't or just couldn't get it down, or something like that... This is even more important with the bigger, heavier 4 strokes of today...

Yeah, he'd do best to keep it shut, but he doesn't and thats his perogative... He's fast, no doubt, but many are better and he gets shown up a lot...

If they gave him Gibernau's bike, I wonder what'd he say and do then? Hmm...

ccwilli3 · 06-26-2003, 8:25 PM

Also,

wasn't there a punch thrown a while back by one of them (biaggi)? Maybe in 2001?

ratter · 06-27-2003, 5:11 AM

Quote:

ccwilli3 : Also,

wasn't there a punch thrown a while back by one of them (biaggi)? *Maybe in 2001?

Rossi hit biaggi before a post race interview, when quizzed about the cut Biaggi said something along the line of, that a fly hit him, or something like that.
If biaggi did not fly off at the mouth so quick, he might have a few more fans.

deez · 06-27-2003, 11:40 AM

CCWilli, Rossi knows and can ride the front just like Max. In fact, last year what he did was ride the front the first 1/2 of the race, then the second 1/2 of the race ride the rear. Frikkin' incredible tire mgmt.

Heavy-Dee · 06-27-2003, 12:00 PM

Can someone elaborate on 'riding the front'. I'm clear on that back. No prob. Is riding the front basically just taking scalpal like lines and not sliding either tire? Is there a good vid example that would help me visualize?

abtech · 06-27-2003, 9:33 PM

Riding the front usually means pushing the front tire (sliding) on corner entry. A favorite 250 tactic, it requires lots of front end feedback to accomplish.

ccwilli3 · 06-27-2003, 10:22 PM

Quote:

booth23 : CCWilli, Rossi knows and can ride the front just like Max. *In fact, last year what he did was ride the front the first 1/2 of the race, then the second 1/2 of the race ride the rear. *Frikkin' incredible tire mgmt.

My apologies for not being clear... I was implying that most if not all GP riders could steer with the front tire but just that very few have mastered steering with the rear, and that is as they say, 'what seperates the men from the boys!'

I wish I still had that issue of RRW, it was online at one time too!

lfg929 · 06-28-2003, 1:03 AM

I *thought* I read somewhere that Biaggi didn't start riding until he was something like 17 years old (I think he played soccer before that or something). If that is true then the guy still has a lot of damn talent.

Biaggi is a good rider, his personality just doesn't bring in too many fans is all.

QuikMike · 06-28-2003, 12:22 PM

I too think Biaggi is an extremely talented rider...It is probably a safe assumption to make that he would have had a good chance to be GP champ last year had Rossi not been around....but I think Booth hit it on the head, Rossi seems to have a gift....something GOD blessed him with that no other rider competing against him has...I am fairly new to the sport myself and just starting watching maybe 2 years ago and from what I've seen, it takes a mistake on Rossi's part(which he's prone to make from time to time....witness the Catalunya race) or an unbelievable race from someone else to beat the guy....what he proved to me in the Catalunya race was that if he brings his A+ game, no one can touch him.....no one.....now, it appears as if Capirossi is starting to close that gap a bit, but that is yet to be seen...wouldn't it be great if Rossi and Biaggi just settled their differences like men.....and slug it out for the cameras *

deez · 06-28-2003, 4:08 PM

lfg929 Bayliss started riding a lot later than Biaggi. I thought I read somewhere that Bayliss started racing in his mid to late twenties, anyone know the deal?

QuikMike, what is interesting now is that Rossi's contract expires at the end of this season. Honda was very pissed when Rossi didn't use the #1 numberplate on the bike. And Rossi has said that he would like to win on an Italian bike. When he started in the 500CC class now the GP class, Aprilia and Ducati didn't have bikes in that series, now they both do. Last time he negotiated with Honda, Rossi made the bosses match his salary and donate that money to cancer research or something like that. Millions of dollars. My current Motorcycle Racer states that Rossi is already negotiating, the silly season will be interesting.

ccwilli3 · 06-28-2003, 6:24 PM

I was reading somewhere online, amasuperbike or motogp, one of those, that rossi had stated that indeed the negotiating was underway and you could fully expect to see him on a Honda next year...

Time will tell.

QuikMike · 07-01-2003, 12:49 AM

yep....ditto what Charlie said....I remember hearing it somewhere that Rossi will be on a Honda for the 2004 season...but of course, money and ego can change a lot of things....

rocketman · 07-01-2003, 3:02 AM

Long story shortened, Biaggi is a superstar in MotoGP,who is in pursuit of the world title, but, one obstacle blocks his way. Valentino Rossi, the greatest motorcycle racer ever.