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Controlling the power, and feeling the bike slide and move are some of the most important skills for any racer to master in their quest for the podium. In this video, Rossi provides a look at his ranch in his hometown in Italy, showing how riding in the dirt is such an important part of his training (both for himself and the young Italian racers he is mentoring).Jump onboard at the legendary Motor Ranch VR46 like you’ve never seen it before, to discover how The Doctor himself, with Franco Morbidelli, Pecco Bagnaia and the Sky Team VR46 Academy practice dirt track riding to help chase down Grand Prix podiums.Īsk any motorcycle racer about going fast and within seconds the words ‘feeling’ and ‘control’ are usually mentioned. Two videos, one from two years ago and one released two weeks ago, shed light on the topic. Riding dirt bikes at speed is not only a great workout - there's a reason motocross riders are among the fittest athletes on the planet - but it also gives racers constant practice at controlling a sliding motorcycle on all those days they're not allowed to ride the motorcycles and tracks where they compete. I suppose they could do all those hours of riding on a stationary bike in a gym, but they are human, and that sounds boring. There are risks in all of those activities, as we saw with Nicky Hayden this summer on a bicycle or Rossi this week riding an off-road motorcycle.īicycling is great cardiovascular exercise and builds leg muscles the racers need. Two of the most popular ways to train are riding bicycles and riding motocross or flat track. A perfect practice to get through the MotoGP season with the maximum. The rest of the time, they're finding other ways to train, to hone their skills and to stay in the kind of shape that lets them ride faster than all other humans on the planet for 40 grueling minutes, while sweating in leathers. Thanks to its low-grip dirt surface, the alternating fast and tight turns and the continuous gradient changes the VR46 Motor Ranch circuit offers the ideal extreme conditions to challenge the riders and allow them to acquire an ever-greater awareness and control of the bike.
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How many days a year go by without a World Cup soccer player kicking a ball or an NBA player shooting some hoops? Yet MotoGP and World Superbike racers literally get to ride their true race bikes on the tracks where they compete for just a very limited number of days a year.
#Valentino rossi ranch 100km dirt bike professional
One thing that isn't often considered is that professional road racers spend less time doing what they get paid to do than just about any other professional athlete. It's not the first time a road racer has been laid up due to injuries from training in the dirt, so let's address the subject with a bit more thought. What the hell, doesn't he know motorcycles are dangerous? And second, it guaranteed that a lot of people would mouth off on social media, suggesting he shouldn't be risking his career by riding dirt bikes. That ensured two things.įirst, it put an end to his long-shot hopes of winning another MotoGP title this year.
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Valentino Rossi broke his right leg while riding off-road as part of his training Thursday.
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