MotoGP – Valencia QP1 – Rossi crashes, Gibernau in pole position

The last race of the season, but it doesn't seem like it. Everyone is chasing the pole position, the last boom before thinking about 2006, the winter tests, Max Biaggi will have to go and so on. Everyone, incredibly, is at risk, starting with Valentino Rossi: outside the top ten, he uses chewing gum. Two tenths above Melandri's time in T1, which fell just ahead. The bike was destroyed and he didn't seem to suffer much from the blow, so much so that he returned to the pits 6 minutes before the checkered flag and got back on the red and white Yamaha YZR M1. Result: fifteenth. He's enough to make big headlines, to write "Here he is, he's in crisis", "But look, he's already thinking about Ferrari", "Yes, this year too he's only had luck". As always, great bullshit…

The one who hasn't done any stupid thing is Sete Gibernau, poleman for the fifth time in this absurd 2005, twelfth in his career, winner of the BMW Awards (the all-time sum of Qualifying), applauded by the local fans who are already taking red flags in sight of the move to Ducati. Great day, as a "Hollywood", for Gibernau, certainly exploiting the misfortunes of others, but putting his own spin on it. In short, if anyone deserves success tomorrow, it seems to be him. At least once…

Second is Marco Melandri, a clear demonstration of the competitiveness of the Gresini team for several races now. The rider from Ravenna is thus heading towards second place in the championship, even if Mister Hayden is immediately behind him to close an all-Honda front row. Fourth was Checa, ahead of a "rediscovered" Biaggi, then Edwards (today Yamaha's lifeline), Capirossi, Barros, Nakano and Tamada. It seems like another Grand Prix, with Rossi 15th, in a tussle with people named Aoki, Kiyonari, Xaus, Kurtis Roberts. As some would say, “Incredible man!!”…

Alessio Piana