Rossi and Biaggi, like Coppi and Bartali
When Valentino Rossi arrived in the 500 class in 2000, Italy on two wheels already saw a prominent exponent at the top, that is Max Biaggi. The Roman won his debut race in the premier category in 1998 and ended his debut season in second place overall. But there were immediate sparks with the young man from Pesaro, starting from the skit of the inflatable doll Claudia Schiffer.
At the 1997 Italian GP Rossi won in 125 and celebrated the success with the sex toy in the shape of the German model. It was the beginning of the antipathy between the two: the gesture was perceived by public opinion as a criticism of the attention given to Biaggi, then in 250 and engaged to Naomi Campbell, Schiffer's rival at the time.
The Italy of two wheels was soon divided between “Rossisti” and “Biaggisti”, a re-enactment of the famous cycling dualism between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali in the immediate post-war period. Rossi and Biaggi embodied two diametrically opposed personalities and – once in the same category – there was numerous friction between the two.
The sentence: “Evidently it sucks his ass to come back every Sunday”
Sunday 14 July 2002, MotoGP class. Valentino Rossi, on Honda HRC, is aiming to win his second world title. He also triumphs at Donington, two seconds ahead of Max Biaggi's Yamaha M1.
Rossi crossed the finish line very slowly, sitting crosswise on the tank and waving to the public. The 'Corsaro' arrived at full speed, passing very close to the champion from Tavullia.
Memorable linterview granted by Valentino to Paolo Beltramo, on Italia 1: “Biaggi passed me very close, quickly. He's used to doing this shit. He obviously pushes his ass to get behind every Sunday“. There was a clarification between the two, with Biaggi exculpating himself and Rossi apologizing to his rival for the words spoken on TV.
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