Doohan questions Rossi credentials
Added on Monday, April 11th, 2011 by Carole Nash Editor
Doohan questions Rossi credentials
MotoGP legend Mick Doohan has claimed that Valentino Rossi is “at the bottom of the slope” in his racing career and that he faces a tough task if he is to equal Giacomo Agostini’s record of nine World titles.
Doohan, a five-time champion between 1994 and 1998, has claimed that the 32-year-old Rossi will find it difficult to challenge for titles alongside younger riders such as Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, suggesting that 12 years of racing at the highest level may be catching up with the Italian.
Rossi’s title defence was hampered last season through injury, with a troublesome shoulder injury affecting his performance throughout the season and a broken leg, sustained during a free practice session in Mugello, forcing him to miss four rounds of the season.
“He’s a great rider and there’s no other way of saying it,” Doohan claimed. “But I think it’s going to be tough for him – he’s no spring chicken in motor racing terms.
“I think in any sport, you’ve only really got a decade to totally immerse yourself in the top of a sport. He’s in his 12th season so it doesn’t get any easier, especially after you’ve had that success.
“So I’m not saying that his career’s over, but it’s not a downhill ride any more, I think he’s at the bottom of the slope.”
