If you failed to dip into the career of Valentino Rossi you missed a very special odyssey. Like a leather-bound Muhammad Ali it is hard to think of another sports star who married such a vibrant personality with courage, mischief and swaggering talent. Look at some of the other all-time greats and they seem to suck the joy out of sport. For the Italian that was what it was all about.
The achievements were unparalleled – a record 89 grand prix wins in the premier motorcycle racing class; a record 199 podiums; 432 starts; nine world titles in all; victories on seven different bikes; the only rider to have won races on 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP bikes. He said he could have won more
