Motorcycle Gear
After the accident at the Mugello MotoGP, Valentino Rossi started the recovery phase right away while Dainese started to develop a special technical equipment which could help the nine-time World Champion from Italy go back to his Yamaha M1 race bike as soon as possible.
Valentino collaborated actively with Dainese’s technicians and his indications were as always very precious.
On July 7, during the very first Yamaha R1 World Superbike test in Misano, the “Doctor” tried on the new motorcycle racing suit and the modified motorcycle boots and he approved them from both a protection and comfort point of view.
D-Tec technicians (Dainese Technology Center) improved the details in view of the second test in Brno and especially for Valentino’s surprising comeback in Moto GP at Sachsenring. Beginning from Friday’s first MotoGP practice, Rossi will wear the suit with the D-air racing system.
The modifications on the custom leather racing suit that have been made concerns the bootleg part: the classical shin protector in polypropylene has been substituted by one made in carbon-kevlar and another one has been added to protect the fibula.
Valentino Rossi asked that this special protection could be integrated in the left leg as well. The bootleg’s circumference has been widened in order to be able to put the new protections and allow an easier insertion of the new boot.
The boot in fact has been widened as well to guarantee a better comfort to the injured leg and a further side opening has been added in order to ease the fit.
Meanwhile Valentino Rossi made an unexpectedly strong return to MotoGP action after his six-week injury break, finishing just 0.020 off his Fiat Yamaha team-mate in seventh.
After his early return to action Rossi was fully expected to be taking it gently today but he felt very comfortable to be back on his M1 and was soon looking like he’d never been away, sitting in the top four for most of the session.
He dropped down the order a little at the end but was more than happy to be just 0.723 seconds off Dani Pedrosa’s pace.
After the session he applied ice to his leg but he has no more pain than is to be expected and is looking forward to making more improvements tomorrow.
Valentino Rossi says: “Now I have some pain in the leg and ankle but it’s not too bad, I was able to do some laps in a row and I was quite fast so things seem okay. Now we will have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how the leg is and whether it has swelled overnight or developed any problems.”