Valentino Rossi decided he wanted to have a party with familiar friends

Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso, Marco Lelandri, Julian Simon and a host of other racers got out on the track and raced for the kids, with Dovizioso coming out the winner in the end, after a three race affair. Dovizioso was second in the first two races to 125 cc World Champion Julian Simon, who had to depart early so he wasn’t able to take part in the third race, but took the overall win by winning the third, ahead of Melandri and Rossi. Over 10,000 fans came out to take part in the affair and help raise money for the kids and the event went so well, we can probably expect more of such affairs in the future.

Rossi released his plans for his time off, he’s decided he still wants to race, and will soon be stepping behind the wheel of a Ford at Monza and the Bologna Motorshow. Once he gets that bug out of his blood, he’s going skiing for awhile, before he has to get back to preparing for the 2010 MotoGP season ahead.

After the event, Dovizioso sat down and talked about the up coming 2010 MotoGP season and his final thoughts on the 2009 season. His second season, 2009 was a up and down affair for Dovizioso, which included his first premier win at Donington Park and the low of being beaten for fifth position in the final standings for the year by a single point in the last race at Valencia by Colin Edwards.

The 2010 season he expects to be a great year and hopefully his break out season. He wants to do better than he did this year and grab a few more wins, but understands the challenge before him. He has to content with a man who is a seven time MotoGP Premier Class World Champion and a field of racers who would all love to be the champion. The question comes down to who wants it more in the end and Rossi has always come out on top in this area.

“Image: Zuma Press”

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Valentino Rossi Calls a Party

MotoGP heads to Italy

One of these racers who was experiencing the two racer scenario for the first time is Monster Yamaha Tech’s James Toseland, who managed to place ninth in the variable weather of Le Mans that had the racers trying to decide when they should go to wet tires or if they should stick to the dry tires. After returning to the top ten in France, Toseland and the rest of the Moto Grand Prix crew are headed to Mugello in Italy to race on one of the most popular and fan friendly courses on the circuit.

As racing environments and fan atmospheres go, they don’t get better then Mugello on the Moto Grand Prix circuit. The surrounding Italian hills act as a natural auditorium that echoes the sounds of the bikes and the cheering crowds over the duration of the Grand Prix weekend at the Gran Premio d’Italia. The amazing greenery in the surrounding country side is breathtaking beside an invasion of the yellow of passionate Italian fans. Poggio Secco will of course be full to the rim with Valentino Rossi fanatics as always, the roar of his fans as he passes this area of the course surely fills Rossi with energy every time he goes past.

If you’re standing in the Rossi section you also get a fantastic view of the track-action, but also of all the other groups that form the fans of other teams in their spots around the course. Last year Ducati filled the Correntaio corner and once again their red grandstand and banners will wave in this corner. The bird’s eye view for the casual fan sites looking down on the Arrabbiata section, Casanova, and the turns of Scarperia is available if you want to take in the action.

Mugello is a Moto Grand Prix race course made for the fans, with something for everyone, if you can’t be there taking in the action, then the next best thing is to check back here in a couple days for the race results.

Image: Zuma Press

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MotoGP Heads to the Hills of Italy

In another of the last competitions of the XXIX Olympiad, the United States men’s volleyball team defeated the two-time Olympic and world champion Brazilian team 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 to win the Gold Medal. The US team was thrust into the news early in the Games after their head coach’s father-in-law, Todd Bachman, was killed by a Beijing national while sightseeing.

Russia took the Bronze Medal, defeating the Italian team in three sets.

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US Men’s Volleyball Team Takes Gold

Andrey Moiseev of Russia won the Gold Medal in the men’s modern pentathlon competition. That’s the five-event content, which includes epee fencing, pistol shooting, a 200m freestyle swim, show jumping, and a 3km cross-country run. The event was added to the Olympics in 1912. It is designed to mirror the skills needed for a soldier behind enemy lines.

Edvinas Krungolcas of Lithuania took the Silver Medal and his countryman, Andrejus Zadneprovskis earned the Bronze Medal.

In the men’s 50km walk, Italy’s Alex Schwazer earned the Gold Medal, setting a new Olympic record of 3:37:09. He was followed by Jared Tallent of Australia for the Silver Medal and Denis Nizhegorodov of Russia for the Bronze Medal.

In the women’s 200m event, Veronica Campbell-Brown continued Jamaica’s dominance of the Olympic sprinting events. Following her lead across the finish line were Allyson Felix of the United States for the Silver Medal and Kerron Stewart of Jamaica for the Bronze Medal. Campbell-Brown’s win completed the Jamaica’s sweep of all four of the mens and womens sprinting events.

In the infield, Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic earned the Gold Medal in the Javelin throw. Maria Abakumova of Russia took the Silver Medal and Christina Obergfall of Germany earned the Bronze.

Portugal’s Nelson Evora won the Gold Medal in the mens triple jump, besting Howard Idowu of Great Britain, who won the Silver Medal, and Leevan Sands of the Bahamas, who earned the Bronze Medal.

The United States swept the mens 400m event, with LaShawn Merritt leading the field for the Gold Medal. He was followed by Jeremy Wariner, the defending Olympic champion, for the Silver Medal and David Neville for the Bronze.

In the mens 100m hurdles, Cuba’s Dayron Robles easily bested the field, winning the Gold Medal. David Payne of the United States took the Silver Medal and David Oliver, also of the United States, earned the Bronze Medal.

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Scenes from the Bird’s Nest – August 21

Jamaica’s Melaine Walker won the Gold Medal in the women’s 400m hurdles event. Sheena Johnson of the United States took the Silver Medal and Tasha Danvers of Great Britain earned the Bronze.

In the women’s 20 km walk, Russia’s Olga Kaniskina prevailed in the rainy Beijing weather to win the Gold Medal, setting a new Olympic record of 1:26:31. Kjersti Tysse Platzer of Norway won the Silver Medal and Elisa Rigaudo of Italy took the Bronze Medal.

Aksana Miankova of Belarus won the women’s hammer throw competition, setting a new Olympic record of 76.34. The Silver Medal went to Yipsi Moreno of Cuba and Zhang Wenxiu of China earned the Bronze Medal.

^{(photo of Melaine Walker © Newscom)}

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Scenes from the Bird’s Nest – August 20

Great Britain\’s Rebecca Adlington won Gold in the long distance swimming race, the women\’s 800m freestyle, giving her country its first Gold Medal in that event in more than 80 years. She won with a world record time of 8:14.10, breaking the record set by Janet Evans in 1989. Adlington was followed by Alessia Filippi of Italy for the Silver Medal and Lotte Friis of Denmark for the Bronze.

Kate Hoff of the United States failed to qualify for the final.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe finally got to stand atop the medal stand in Beijing, winning the women\’s 200m back stroke event with an Olympic record time of 2:05.24. Margaret Hoelzer of the United States earned the Silver Medal and Reiko Nakamura of Japan was awarded the Bronze.

Coventry has won three Silver Medals in Beijing.

In the fast-paced men\’s 50m freestyle event, Brazil\’s Cesar Cielo Filho bested an all-star field to win the Gold Medal, the first ever swimming Gold for Brazil, setting a new Olympic record of 21.30. The Silver went to France\’s Amaury Leveaux and the Bronze went to fellow Frenchman, Alain Bernard. Australia\’s Eamon Sullivan, the world record-holder, finished sixth.

In the men\’s 100m butterfly event, Michael Phelps continued his winning streak by the narrowest of margins–just .01 seconds. He earned his seventh Gold Medal of the meet with a new Olympic record of 50.58. Following him were Milorad Cavic of Serbia for the Silver Medal and Andrew Lauterstein for the Bronze.

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Scenes from the Water Cube – 8/16

Swedish wrestler, Ara Abrahamian came to win Gold and didn’t want anything to do with the Bronze Medal he was awarded in the 84kg category of the Greco-Roman wrestling event. Although he grudgingly mounted the medal stand, he tossed his medal on the mat after the ceremony and walked away.

Said Abrahamian, a two-time world champion, to Reuters News Agency, “I think the semifinal shows that FILA (world wrestling governing body) does not play fair. I didn’t deserve to lose. The system is corrupt.”

Unfortunately, his outburst is overshadowing the Gold Medal performance of Andrea Minguzzi of Italy and that of Silver Medalist, Zoltan Fodor of Hungary. It also shows an appalling lack of sportsmanship. The IOC indicated that there would be a disciplinary hearing about the incident.

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Swedish Wrestler Rejects Bronze Medal

Italy’s Chiara Cainero hung in there to win the Gold Medal on Thursday in the women’s skeet shooting event, despite stiff competition and inclement weather that made it difficult to see the targets. Cainero ended the competition tied with Kimberly Rhode of the United States and Christine Brinker of Germany, each woman hitting 93 targets, forcing a shoot-out for the Gold Medal.

In the shoot-out, Cainero hit both of her targets and the others missed one. Another shoot-out was held to award Rhode the Silver and Brinker the Bronze Medal.

Rhode won the Gold Medal in the double trap shooting event in 1996 and again in 2004, the last year that event was included in the Olympic Games.

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Cainero Takes Gold in Skeet Shooting

Federica Pellegrini of Italy took the Gold Medal in the women’s 200m freestyle event, with a world record time of 1:54.82. Pellegrini was the Silver Medalist in this event at the Athens Games.

Slovenia’s Sara Isakovic earned the Silver Medal and Jiaying Pang of China was awarded the Bronze.

Australia’s Stephanie Rice picked up her second Gold Medal of the Beijing Games with a win in the 200m women’s individual medley, clocking a world record time of 2:08.45. Just behind her was Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, followed by Natalie Couglin of the United States. Rice won Gold earlier in the week in the women’s 400m individual medley.

Michael Phelps led off the American team in the men’s 4×200m freestyle event and after that it was never a contest for the Gold. The American team, which also included Ryan Lochte, Ricky Bevens, and Peter Vanderkaay, shattered the world record with a time of 6:58.56.

The Silver Medal went to the Russian team and the Bronze Medal was awarded to the Australians.

Michael Phelps also earned Gold in the men’s 200m butterfly event, with a world record time of 1:52.03. He was followed by Laszlo Cseh of Hungary for the Silver Medal and Takeshi Matsuda of Japan for the Bronze.

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Scenes from the Water Cube – August 13

Three-time Olympian, Walton “Glenn” Eller of the United States earned the Gold Medal on Tuesday in the double trap shoot event by hitting 45 of 50 targets in the final round, a new Olympic record. Eller, a Texas native, finished 15th in the Sydney Games and 17th in the Athens Games.

The Silver Medal was awarded to Francisco D’Aniello of Italy and the Bronze Medal went to Hu Binyuan on China.

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Eller Wins Double Trap Shoot