Month: February 2023

DOVI TO BE NAMED MOTOGP™ LEGEND

Posted on by Nicoletta Salvador

Andrea Dovizioso will each be named MotoGP™ Legends in 2023.

Italian rider Dovizioso will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at Mugello and German rider Anscheidt at the Sachsenring, each taking their place in the Legend books!

Dovizioso won the 125cc World Championship in 2004, moved up to become a consistent challenger in the 250 class and then made his MotoGP™ debut in 2008, taking his first premier class podium as a rookie. The following season Dovizioso took his first premier class win and until his departure from Honda at the end of 2011, was a consistent podium threat. His next season saw him debut with Yamaha Tech3, where he again took a number of rostrums, before a move to the Ducati factory team for 2013 saw the two begin a long journey to the top.

In 2014 Dovizioso garnered two podiums, in 2015 five and in 2016 another five – including a history-making win in the Malaysian Grand Prix, his first since 2009. That kicked off a renaissance of incredible frontrunning form as Dovizioso was Championship runner up in 2017, 2018 and 2019, taking 12 wins across just three seasons. His final win came in his final season with Ducati at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix.

After a brief sabbatical, Dovizioso returned to competition in the latter part of 2021 as an Independent Team rider with Yamaha before retiring after Misano in 2022. His final hurrah saw the paddock come out to applaud both the achievements and class of a key figure in the modern era.

Now, he’ll take his place as a MotoGP™ Legend.

Now Dovi, together with Hans Georg Anscheidt, will be named MotoGP™ Legends, joining a long list of greats that includes Valentino Rossi, Giacomo Agostini, Hugh Anderson, Kork Ballington, Max Biaggi, Alex Crivillé, Mick Doohan, Stefan Dörflinger, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Nicky Hayden, Jorge Lorenzo, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Marco Lucchinelli, Randy Mamola, Anton Mang, Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez, Angel Nieto, Dani Pedrosa, Wayne Rainey, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, Kenny Roberts Jr, Jarno Saarinen, Kevin Schwantz, Barry Sheene, Marco Simoncelli, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, John Surtees, Luigi Taveri, Carlo Ubbiali and Franco Uncini.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We’re very proud to induct Andrea and Hans-Georg into the MotoGP Hall of Fame. Two riders who achieved a lot, and two riders who were emblematic of the eras in which they competed. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming them back to the paddock to be named Legends. Andrea was already a World Champion early in his career and years later was still thrilling us as a key part of some of the best battles in the modern era of MotoGP. It was a pleasure for us to watch him compete and take some of the closest MotoGP victories I can remember. He is undoubtedly a legend!

 

 

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO
“When they told me, I was really surprised. Reading the list of Legends it’s a nice feeling to know my name is now going to be added. I had a long career but didn’t expect to be named a Legend – and certainly not so soon – but it’s really an honour. I’m looking forward to coming back to the paddock to visit, and to be inducted at the Italian Grand Prix makes it really special. I’m surprised and very happy, happy to become a MotoGP Legend. So thank you very much”.

 

Press Release by MotoGP.com

04 PARK MONTE CORALLI

Posted on by Nicoletta Salvador

While the construction work at 04 Park Monte Coralli started a few days ago (with a little delay, due to bad weather), Andrea gives an interview in which he tells a few more details of the project, for the first time right at 04 Park.

“I’ve been looking for the right situation for years, I’ve been working on it for a long time. I was looking for a place strictly in Romagna, the most suitable area. At Monte Coralli there is a beautiful track, a real park, ideal for everything I want to do. My goal goes beyond a track for amateurs or professionals: the real goal is to build a large meeting center for young people, like Galliano Park was for me. The track will become a federal center and it’s a beautiful thing. The whole structure remains municipal and I hope that the track will be ready by the end of April. I come here every day to put pressure…”.

Watch the full interview here (Italian)

Credits Corriere Romagna

Interview by Matteo Miserocchi

Video by Mauro Monti

WELLNESS VALLEY WORKSHOP

Posted on by Nicoletta Salvador

20 years after the creation of this forward-looking project, the first Wellness Valley Workshop post pandemic was held last week.

Over 250 stakeholders attended the presentation of the Wellness Valley Report: The Wellness Valley remains a benchmark in relation to adopting healthy lifestyles and improving life quality at a time when health is increasingly a major issue.
Speakers at the workshop included Wellness Foundation President Nerio Alessandri, Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region Stefano Bonaccini and University of Bologna Rector Giovanni Molari.
Among the guests seated in the stalls, Andrea Dovizioso.

During the workshop, Emilia-Romagna President Stefano Bonaccini highlighted the importance of the Wellness Valley project in boosting the value of sport also as an element of tourism promotion: “We can win in the marketplace by investing in wellness and make a difference by systemizing all the elements of our region’s culture: the hospitality, the quality of services, good food, sports and exercise that are not only good for your health, but they also lead to a rise in spin-offs with an increase in sports tourism.”

The workshop was an opportunity to get together and share the many achievements of the past 20 years, certainly not an arrival point, but a starting point.

 

Wellness Workshop recap

 

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO
“I really enjoyed attending this workshop. As an athlete, I totally agree with the spirit with which this project was born: playing sports is a very powerful medicine. Our region is also an important place on a culinary level and a healthy diet is certainly a fundamental element for the recipe for feeling good and living better. As much as possible, I am happy to be able to share these values”.