        Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s last race and the subsequent farewell party are still very much in the minds of both the spectators who watched and the paddock staff. These include Loris Capirossi who offered his own comment about Valentino&rsquo;s retirement and spoke about the NSR500, seen back in the paddock during the official farewell press conference. Capirossi and his duels with Valentino: &ldquo;Always correct, but fast&rdquo;  Loris Capirossi, a former team-mate but also rival of Valentino, spoke about the Doctor&rsquo;s retirement. &ldquo;Valentino has left an indelible mark on the history of the world championship. I was there for his whole career, from the start up until Sunday. I battled with him from 1998 to 2011, he was always correct as a rival, but very fast, and he beat me more often than I beat him. He has done so much good for our sport, bringing fans who would otherwise never have come. The fact that Sunday was his last race leaves a big hole, he&rsquo;ll be missed and I personally will really miss him. He&rsquo;s a life-long athlete, he won&rsquo;t stop. It&rsquo;s true that he&rsquo;s going to race cars, but he&rsquo;ll be back here too, because he has a team in MotoGP.&rdquo; Loris then adds: &ldquo;I retired exactly ten years ago at Valencia, and now him, ten years later. He was very fast in Sunday&rsquo;s race, but time passes for everyone and, like all good things, there&rsquo;s a beginning but also unfortunately an end&rdquo;. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still in awe of the NSR500&rdquo;  Capirex closes by thinking back to his time aboard the Honda NSR500, after taking a picture next to the 2001 version that brought Valentino his first and only 500 title. &ldquo;I am still in awe of that bike. The 500 bikes, and that one in particular that I rode the year after, still reign supreme in this sport and I&rsquo;d really like to ride one on track again, although I think it would be difficult if not impossible&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Valencia: a disappointing season finale for the Aprilia riders          

During an exclusive chat, Capirex looks back at his years in the 500 class and his rivalry with Valentino: &ldquo;He brought fans who would otherwise never have considered our sport&rdquo;

Capirossi: “The 500 bikes still reign supreme, I’d like to ride my Honda again”

        It&rsquo;s not all about Fabio Quartararo, as the Emilia Romagna GP also brings a first championship match point for Pedro Acosta, the rookie who is setting the world alight during his first Moto3 season. Acosta champion at Misano if&hellip;  The chances of seeing Pedro crowned champion already at Misano are more remote than the Frenchman&rsquo;s though. With a 30-point lead over Dennis Foggia, the KTM-Ajo rider would have to gain at least another 21 points to celebrate the title in Italy. So basically Acosta needs to win, with Foggia finishing in twelfth place or lower. A very small glimmer that would also allow Pedrito to achieve another &lsquo;first&rsquo;. If he were to become champion at Misano, the Spaniard would become the youngest ever motorcycle world champion. The record is currently held by Loris Capirossi who, at 17 years and 165 days, became 125 world champion back in 1990. Loris and Pedro, phenomenal teens  It&rsquo;s easy to draw parallels between the two. Capirossi, also a rookie back in 1990, appeared on the world scene as something of a child prodigy. After competing in the Italiano Sport Production and 125 GP classes, Capirex placed fourth in the 1989 European Championship, before moving up to the world championship aboard the Team Pileri Honda RS 125. With Fausto Gresini as a team-mate, #65 was also up against the likes of Stefan Prein, Hans Spaan, Doriano Romboni and Jorge Martinez. A season that reached a climax at Phillip Island, when the Italian won the race to secure the first of three career world titles. A rapid rise that can be compared to that of Acosta - Spanish PreMoto3 champion in 2017, then the CEV Moto3 championship from 2018 to 2020 as well as the Red Bull Rookies Cup as of 2019. After winning the 2020 Rookies Cup, he moved up to the world championship this season with absolutely no fear of battling Fenati, Foggia or Masia, to name but a few. Will Acosta be able to rewrite history, as Capirossi did 31 years ago? All will become clear at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Translated by Heather Watson Moto3, Daniel Holgado to replace Deniz Oncu at Misano and Portimao       

In the (unlikely) case that Acosta is crowned Moto3 world champion at the end of the Emilia Romagna GP, the Spaniard would become the youngest ever world champion, beating Loris&rsquo; record

Moto3: Pedro Acosta can beat Loris Capirossi at Misano

        Only those of great courage achieve stand-out feats, in life as in motorsport. We can definitely include Loris Capirossi in this category, a rider with true strength of will and one of the first &ndash; if not the first &ndash; to believe in the Ducati MotoGP project. Capirex-Ducati, love at first sight   It was 2003 when the Borgo Panigale manufacturer debuted in the new MotoGP, a year later than its rivals. The GP3 stood out for its trellis frame and desmodromic engine and was a beautiful, aggressive bike that quickly proved fast on track. The GP3 was quite literally scary, perpetually sideways out of the turns, the slightest touch of the gas was enough to make it jump, almost like a skittish bull. And yet Capirossi was able to tame it, almost immediately. After setting the best time at the Barcelona IRTA tests, in March 2003, the Italian lined up at season-opener Suzuka, well aware of his and his bike&rsquo;s potential. In Japan, he scored a third-place finish, behind Valentino Rossi on the Sunday of Daijiro Kato&rsquo;s terrible accident. This was followed by three DNFs, before he finished second at the Mugello GP, a track where Ducati showcased the Desmosedici&rsquo;s incredible top speed. The lucky Barcelona punch   Barcelona was the ideal setting for the big one, or rather the Italian team&rsquo;s first win in the top class. Getting away from second on the grid, Capirossi battled it out with poleman Valentino Rossi, who struggled against the power of the desmo engine. After taking turns out front, Rossi ran off track eight laps from the end as he tried to defend himself from Capirex. This paved the way for number 65&rsquo;s victory. The Doctor did his best to catch up, and ultimately crossed the line second. But Loris and his red bike were unstoppable as they celebrated their first win in the MotoGP class, an Italian pairing having not achieved such a result since 1976.  "My last win was back in 2000, so you can imagine how happy I am today. I think it&rsquo;s one of the best of my career. And it is also a great prize for Ducati, for Marlboro and for the whole team", commented Capirossi at the end of the race. "Today&rsquo;s race was incredible, especially early on when I was riding with Valentino. The pace wasn&rsquo;t so fast but after his mistake I was able to pass. When I saw him run off I gave 100%. Biaggi was catching me but, three laps from the end when I turned around, there was no one there. My board told me that Rossi was coming but I continued to push for the last two laps. Thanks to everyone who has believed in me, this has been a fantastic day&rdquo;. A wonderful result for the three-time champion, after a difficult 2002 aboard the team Pons Honda, and for Ducati. With it, the Borgo Panigale technicians were able to show the Japanese giants that a small Italian manufacturer was able to give them a run for their money. A feat that would have been impossible without the determination of one Loris Capirossi from Castel San Pietro Terme. Translated by Heather Watson Valencia 2006, Troy Bayliss and MotoGP: a farewell victory       

The 2003 Catalunya GP was the setting for Ducati&rsquo;s first win in MotoGP, achieved thanks to the heart and courage of Loris Capirossi

Barcelona 2003: when Capirossi tamed the wild Ducati

There are moments when riders become superheroes, executing feats of epic proportions that remain in our collective memory.  And that is exactly what Loris Capirossi did back at the 2000 Dutch GP, a race that went down in history thanks to the Italian&rsquo;s stoic actions.  Friday&#39;s pole and the crash in warm-up   As per tradition, qualifying at Assen took place on a Friday. Loris secured pole position with a time of 2:02.058, exploiting the full potential of Sito Pons team&rsquo;s Honda NSR 500.  Capirossi was in explosive form. He was aware of his strength come Saturday&rsquo;s warm-up but it was here that his weekend was compromised. The three-time world champion attempted a risky pass on Belgian rider Degrelle, a dangerous move that resulted in a crash and a fracture to Loris&rsquo; left hand, already hurt in an incident a few weeks prior.  Loris&rsquo; determination   Loris wouldn&rsquo;t hear of missing the race and wanted to compete despite the Dutch doctors reservations.  Capirex dealt with it when the doctor pressed down hard on the fractured hand. His third and fourth metacarpal might have been compromised, but his determination was not.  &quot;I want to race&quot; said the Italian and so he did, receiving the OK just one hour before the start of the race. Doctor Costa, the guardian angel who has taught the riders that nothing is impossible, supplied a cocktail of painkillers that would help Loris, as he put on his leathers, his wife Ingrid helping him with his glove. It was time to put on his helmet and harness that madness, bravery and lucidity.  The race seemed endless, the rain so typical of Assen causing the race to be suspended and split into two halves. Capirossi held on and finished the race third behind Barros and Criville, bursting into tears when he reached parc ferm&eacute; before fainting in his wife&#39;s arms.  He had done it. And before leaving Holland, Capirossi already had his hand in plaster so as to be ready to race a few days later at Donington.  An heroic act that shows how we can control and overcome pain. A rider thing. A Loris Capirossi thing.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Ezpeleta: &ldquo;Vaccinated riders, a model for society&rdquo; 

While we await news of Marc Marquez&rsquo;s return, we tell the tale of another injury, that of Loris Capirossi at Assen in 2000

Assen 2000: from the fracture to fainting, Capirossi&rsquo;s heroic podium

        There was a 14-year age gap between Loris Capirossi and Marco Simoncelli, but when people share a passion like motorcycle, a generational difference doesn&rsquo;t stand in the way of friendship. And the pair were great friends. So much so that when he ran his last race, in 2011 at Valencia, just one week after SIC&rsquo;s accident at Sepang, Loris Capirossi wanted to honour his friend&rsquo;s memory by racing with his number. Today, SIC&rsquo;s 34th birthday  Today, on 20 January, Marco Simoncelli would have celebrated his 34th birthday. Instead, 23 October will mark ten years since that tragic accident that snatched him from his loved ones. We asked Loris Capirossi for a memory of SIC. &nbsp;&ldquo;I really miss Marco, he was very similar to me&rdquo;, says Loris. &ldquo;He had so much heart and was a guy who never held back. His career would surely have only got better and better. I&rsquo;m so sorry because, above all, I&rsquo;ve lost a friend. "I&rsquo;ve suffered over the years. Even now, going to Sepang is always sad and I never fail to visit the site of his accident. I still have such strong feelings about him&rdquo;, says Capirossi. Capirossi: "A close bond"  What was your relationship like? &ldquo;We always had a great relationship, right from when he was in 125. He was cool, a unique personality, a beanpole even when he was little. Then he moved to 250, where he became world champion, and when he decided to move to MotoGP, our bond only got stronger, because I helped him a lot. Every time he headed out on track, if I were there we&rsquo;d agree that I&rsquo;d head out to and give him a tow, show him the line&hellip; We had a close bond&rdquo;, concludes Capirossi. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: happy birthday Jack Miller, Ducati&rsquo;s latest (Australian) hope       

&ldquo;Marco was very similar to me and I miss him so much. Every time I go to Sepang I always go to the site of the accident&rdquo;, says Capirossi, who competed in his last race in 2011 with number 58, in tribute to SIC

5 risultati per 'EN loris capirossi'

Capirossi: “The 500 bikes still reign supreme, I’d like to ride my Honda again”

Moto3: Pedro Acosta can beat Loris Capirossi at Misano

Barcelona 2003: when Capirossi tamed the wild Ducati

Assen 2000: from the fracture to fainting, Capirossi’s heroic podium

Exclusive, Capirossi: “Simoncelli’s birthday today, he had so much heart...”