Valentino Rossi, the most legendary rider, retires at the end of the season

Valentino Rossi, the rider who made motorcycling a mass sport, the most popular sport on the grid, a living myth, will retire at the end of the season, when it culminates with one last race in Valencia, in mid-November, a race full of successes, overtaking and celebrations that are now the history of the Motorcycle World Championship.

This was announced by the athlete himself at a special press conference called this Thursday at the Spielberg circuit, where the Styrian GP will be held this weekend.

More information

• Valentino Rossi, the pilot and the legend turn 40

• Rossi, after renewing a year with Yamaha: "Last year I didn't see myself as competitive, I thought about staying at home"

• Yamaha leaves Valentino Rossi without a team for 2021

The 42-year-old Italian rider will put on the Cheste circuit, in a few months, the final touch to 26 years in the world championship.

26 years in which he won nine titles - one in 125cc, one in 250cc, another when he was still riding 500cc motorcycles and six more with MotoGP, a category that he dominated like no other in the 2000s - and in which He attracted the eyes of half the world with his charisma and his sympathy, with his mastery at the handlebars and his excellent command of the scene.

Rossi, who won his first premier class title with the Honda team and three years and three crowns after that managed to make Yamaha champion, has not been on the podium since the 2019 Grand Prix of the Americas. held at the legendary Assen circuit in 2017. Too long for a rider who has never lost the will to compete. Too long for a champion who has been fighting for three years with a Yamaha with which he stopped understanding long ago.

It was his doubts about whether or not to continue a year ago that led the official team of the Japanese factory to look for a replacement and sign Fabio Quartararo, today leader of the championship, instead of the living myth.

When he decided that he wanted to give himself one more year of margin, Rossi found the outstretched hand of Yamaha, who offered him an official M1 so that he could continue competing with the best weapons even if it was in the Petronas satellite team.

You can follow EL PAÍS DEPORTES on