MotoGP | Max Biaggi: “Me and Rossi? Looking back we were two chickens"

Trento Sports Festival – Max Biaggi, present together with Giacomo Agostini on the stage of the Trento Sports Festival, recalled the old rivalry with Valentino Rossi (in the photo the two on the Sepang podium, ed.).

Biaggi recalled how until the age of 18 he only thought about football, then seeing a friend in action with the motorbike he had love at first sight. Dad Pietro didn't buy him the motorbike at 16, but at 18 he told him to go to the dealer where he would find a surprise.

Biaggi also returned to the Suzuka overtaking, after which the Roman rider was on the inside and the Pesaro driver on the outside. In that attack Rossi was taken off the track by Biaggi, who widened his elbow, but a few corners later Rossi had the upper hand, even giving the Yamaha rider the "middle" finger. Rossi instead raced with the Honda NSR 500cc.

Max Biaggi statements on rivalry with Valentino Rossi Trento Sports Festival

“Until I was 18 I only thought about football, then one day I saw a friend riding a motorbike and it was love at first sight. Dad never bought me a motorbike even though he could start riding it at 16. On his 18th birthday he showed up with some keys and said to me: 'Go to the dealership and you'll find your present.' As for the Suzuka race, I was on the inside and he was on the outside. But looking back today I can say that we were two chickens. We didn't speak to each other and we used the press to reply to each other and the journalists couldn't wait since since we were both Italian it would have created a rivalry between the two fans."