Valentino Rossi set for EICMA appearance amid first days of MotoGP retirement

After more than two decades in the upper echelons of GP motorcycle competition, Valentino Rossi is now just two races shy of bringing his spectacular career to what will no doubt be an emotional swansong in Valencia.

Having marked his final race outing on Italian soil with a run to the top ten at Misano, local fans who may have missed the chance to see The Doctor complete his rounds at home and won’t be at either of the upcoming Portimao or Valencia events, will get an ideal opportunity to celebrate his achievements next month.

Indeed, Rossi and Yamaha have teamed up for a special appearance at the EICMA show in Milan on Thursday 25 November with an event it is branding ‘One More Lap’.

Coming a weekend after his Valencia farewell, Rossi will be invited to take a lap of the short race track layout within the exhibition centre to give attending fans the opportunity to bid a fond ‘ciao’ to one of the sport’s most successful superstars.

Rossi will share anecdotes and tales of his tenure in MotoGP as arguably its most popular star, his unique and flamboyant riding style earning him a legion of fans around the world, most of which have remained loyal to him throughout his career, even if it has led to him forge a number of fierce and bitter rivalries on track.

Winning his first premier class world title in 2001, Rossi then proceeded to dominate the early years of the MotoGP era, clinching a total of seven titles 2001, 2002, 2003 (Honda), 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009 (Yamaha), 89 wins and 199 podiums across 370 starts.