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Andrea Migno has turned out to be an excellent host in his Mig Babol podcast with which he debuted on the network this year. The guests are the riders, his great friends, and for the Misano GP he chose the most important one: Valentino Rossi. The Doctor was the protagonist of the episode and told many behind-the-scenes stories of his career starting from the beginning. He dug into his memory, recalling his beginnings as a child in karts, battles with his friends on mopeds, to his entry into MotoGP.
The 'juiciest' part came when he started talking about his entry into the premier class. It was 2000, he finished 2nd, and he has one regret: "I didn't win the title in my first year in 500 because I didn't believe in it, in the first 3 races I scored 2 points and Roberts 60. I threw the World Championship away there," he explained.
The first time on the 500 was unforgettable for so many reasons.
"I arrived in Jerez with two Honda leathers, but I could not use them because I would have had to wear the Aprilia ones I had left at home," he revealed, "So I borrowed one from Marcellino Lucchi. But I also had the wrong bag and had taken the one with only the visors, so I didn't even have a helmet. I pretended it had been stolen at the airport. I tested the 500 with Lucchi's leathers and Gregorio Lavilla's helmet."
It still went well.
"It's one of those moments you never forget," the Doctor admitted, "When you gave it gas it would launch you into the stratosphere, the track would tighten up. Then at Phillip Island I picked up my first real stones at Siberia - it threw me into the air."
One cannot talk about his years in the 500 without mentioning his rivalry with Biaggi, which began even before he raced in the same class.
"Looking back at what happened between us, it was my fault," Rossi confessed, "Biaggi was not nice to me and I said so in all the interviews. He was the top and I was a kid, it was my fault."
There are 3 episodes he recalled.
"The first one in 1997 at Suzuka. Biaggi after winning 3 titles with Aprilia had switched to Honda and we all said he won because of the bike, even me. We met at a restaurant near the circuit, he was having dinner with journalists. Max says to me, 'there's the Biaggi of the 125.' I replied, 'you will be the Valentino Rossi of the 250.' It came to me well."
Some time later, however, the Roman Emperor took his revenge.
"I was alone in the elevator at Motegi, the doors were closing when Biaggi and Marino Laghi came in. Max looked at me and said, 'but why are you breaking my balls all the time?' I felt that one, he put me in a corner, and shut me up. I had to accept that," the Doctor acknowledged defeat.
Finally, the near brawl in Barcelona.
"In 2000 I screwed Biaggi in his first year in the 500, I got ahead of him," the Doctor recounted, "In 2001 it was a real fight, he was competitive and the Yamaha was going strong. At Suzuka he tried to knock me out, I overtook him, flipped him the bird and won. We get to Barcelona, I'm on pole, but I get a bad start and touched with Criville. I was 15th, but I remounted and caught Biaggi. It was a fight to the death, Max was tough, but I was going faster and won. After the parc fermé, I was in the room below the podium talking to Gibo, my manager. Biaggi came by and gave him a push and then a hand to the face, then he goes up the stairs to the podium. I ask him what he was doing and he tells me to go up that there are some for me as well. He was really pissed off. We had half a scuffle, we didn't really fight, then they pulled us off each other and that was it."
That duality marked the history of motorcycle racing,.
"It's something that got a lot of people passionate, there were those who were with me, those with him, we were both strong and Italian. It was a fantastic rivalry," Valentino commented at the end.
HERE you can watch the entire episode, waiting for the second part where we will talk about another opponent: Marc Marquez.
