Italian MotoGP Betting: Bring out your Rossi respect - the great man is back!

Moto GP / Trent Burton / 30 May 2008 / Leave a Comment

Trent Burton previews the betting for the Italian MotoGP - where Rossi attempts a rapid double

Last time out in Le Mans it seemed the only person that got a copy of the script was Valentino Rossi. The Italian Fiat Yamaha man took control mid-race and ran away with it and catapulted himself into a narrow three point championship lead in the process. His rivals however shared a mixed bag of fortunes...

Jorge Lorenzo couldn't get around the pits without a wheelchair all weekend yet clawed his way into a simply remarkable second place finish. It's hard to remember a rookie having such an immediate impact since his team-mate Rossi back in 2000. The man many consider to be Rossi's main title rival in Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa dropped back to fourth, his first result of the podium all year while defending champion Marlboro Ducati's Casey Stoner's lead was headed for back-to-back podiums until the bike went pop and he found himself out of the points, his first non-scoring result since joining Ducati in 2007. Andrea Dovizioso too was running at podium pace but lost to much time in the early going when hit by Brit James Toseland sending Dovi back down the field with a lot of work to do and Toseland into the gravel for his first MotoGP race crash.

And so this weekend we arrive in Mugello for round six of the 2008 MotoGP campaign, a track that along with Phillip Island, is always a favourite for the riders. The Italian round is home for many of the riders such as Rossi, Dovi and Suzuki's veteran Loris Capirossi as well as the Ducati team. All will be keen to impress in front of the motorsport mad Italian fans in seasons where all have shared very different fortunes.

All year the Yamahas and Ducatis have been the quickest bikes through the speed traps and with Mugello one of the fastest circuits on the calendar that should play into both Rossi and Stoner's hands. Expect to see the Tech 3 Yamaha of Colin Edwards at the pointy end again also. Mugello suits him well and his consistent form of late, especially in qualifying, should have him challenging for a top-three and at a current price of [3.75] for that result, is well worth a look.

Rossi, who has won at this circuit for the last six years in a row in a myriad of special one-off helmets such as last year's famous 'Heart' design, is a very short favourite at [1.96] for the victory. It's hard to see him missing out on racking up an utterly stunning seventh consecutive Italian MotoGP triumph, but it is worth keeping in mind that he's going to have to change a little bit of history himself to do it.

The last time someone other a Michelin shod rider took victory at Mugello was way back in 1991 with Wayne Rainey on Dunlops. Mugello is in fact one of just five tracks on the calendar this year where Bridgestone are yet to record a victory. Rossi seems to have taken to the Bridgestones well this year so could just be the man to break the duck. But Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Edwards and the other Michelin guys will be keen to end Rossi's own streak of Mugello successes. As will the other main Bridgestone man, Stoner.

Desperate to get his championship defence back on track, he's shown he's got the pace to run at the front of late but has seen both tyre and bike issues hamper his shot at a second race win for the year. But he's been talking confident all week and was very positive after Le Mans focusing on the new pace of the bike rather than the the break to a $5 part that cost him any points, which is something we've not seen from the young Aussie of late. And Ducati haven't missed the podium at their home track for the last three years, so expect him to be an outside man to watch. Currently at [8.0] for a victory, a careful eye over his Friday practice times and there may well be something to be had from a punt there.

But cover yourself with some Rossi respect. Everyone has been saying Valentino is back. But really, let's be honest, had he ever really gone anywhere? For me, come Monday morning, it'll seem like the last two years were but a blip on the radar best forgotten and everyone's going to be scratching their heads working out how to stop that famous number 46 from disappearing into the distance for the rest of the year.