Valentino Rossi in 2010 MotoGP season
This year’s MotoGP has reached its halfway mark, with a lot of excitement and drama in the nine races so far. The MotoGP legend, Valentino Rossi, has had everything in this season; he had a good start, for his title defence, missed some action after an injury, but eventually came back strongly in the last two races before the halfway mark.
Valentino Rossi started the season as defending champion in MotoGP. He had won two back to back titles and was looking good for a hat trick. There were other champions present on the grid, alongside Rossi, including Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden. However, the biggest challenger to Rossi’s defence, this year, was Jorge Lorenzo; his FIAT Yamaha teammate and runners-up from last season. As Rossi is looking for his eighth title in Premier Class, Lorenzo is looking for his first.
Rossi started the season with a victory in the first GP at Qatar. However, he got himself into trouble with an accident, shortly afterwards, that resulted in a shoulder injury. In the next two races, Rossi had to go with pain in his shoulder, but he managed to get a podium spot in Jerez and a second place finish in Le Mans. The battle between the duo had already started, as he finished his first race behind Rossi, but remained ahead of him in next two Grand Prix races.
With Lorenzo putting a lot of pressure on the Italian, Rossi decided to go for a win in Mugello. However, disaster struck the Italian, as he found himself in a horrible crash during the second practice session. This crash resulted in a broken leg for Rossi, who was immediately taken for an operation. This crash also broke an incredible record of the legendary Italian, who had never missed a single MotoGP race, since he started in 1996.
“The Doctor” missed the next four races in a row, which provided Lorenzo a solid chance to increase his lead at the top. The young Spaniard was up for the challenge as he won three of these four races, establishing his supremacy in 2010 season. Maybe, this performance had something to do with Rossi’s decision to stage an early comeback. Initially, doctors suggested him to return at Czech Republic, however, Rossi could not hold back for long. A test ride, on Yamaha superbike, in Misano and later in Brno showed good results for the Italian. Therefore, Rossi’s team management decided that the Italian can compete in German GP at Sachsenring.
Rossi’s return at Sachsenring was an incredible comeback, as it showed the mental and physical strength of the rider. Rossi had a little trouble with his leg, with pain in his ankles, while the shoulder was still troubling him. Despite these physical shortcomings, Rossi came in the fourth spot. However, he battled hard for the third spot and was beaten only at the last corner of the race.
The next race was at Laguna Seca, which proved to be a more demanding track for Rossi, especially because of his injuries. However, he was determined to improve on his previous result, which he ultimately managed to do. He got a podium finish, as Dani Pedrosa crashed while leading the race. Nevertheless, this was a great result for the Italian, while everything was going for him according to plan.
Right now, Rossi is in fifth place with 90 points, while Lorenzo has established a lead of 120 points over his Yamaha compatriot. The season seems to be over for Rossi, especially because Lorenzo has not shown any signs of weakness yet, finishing all the nine races in first or second spot. However, there are still nine races left, and Rossi will definitely push other riders to their limits. He must have gotten a good rest during the break, so his return will be strong and powerful.
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