Buon Compleanno Vale
Valentino Rossi celebrates a birthday today. The future MotoGP superstar was born on this day, February 16th, 1979 in Urbino, Italy. He has been, and remains, MotoGP’s shining son, having won the 125cc and 250cc World Championships before moving to the premiere class where he has dominated with an astonishing seven titles in ten seasons.
This has prompted former teammate, American Colin Edwards, to nickname the gregarious Italian, GOAT (greatest of all time).
Rossi may be 31 years old, but he still manages to exude the same childlike exuberance he exhibited when he was rising through the ranks. His victory lap celebrations have become legend. The easy-going, charismatic Italian is a sly and determined competitor, outlasting and outwitting a number of powerful nemeses, unleashing a daunting array of tricks-both on and off a bike-to dominate MotoGP with sheer brilliance and mastery.
He has come to define the world of motorcycle racing with an approach to riding and racing that is sublime. His accomplishments have gradually eclipsed a long list of legends, earning him kudos as the greatest motorcycle racer that has ever lived. In most parts of the world Valentino is MotoGP.
So what do you give the man who has won everything? Well, if you’re talking about "Vale," the answer is not so much what you get him, in so much as what he’d like to give himself. And that, undoubtedly, would be another premiere class MotoGP World Championship Title in 2010 to go with his seven previous trophies (ten total).
Happy Birthday GOAT!
