The 2007
MotoGP season starts this weekend in Qatar with a new reigning world champion in
Nicky Hayden and new 800cc motorcycles - but
Valentino Rossi is still seen as the man to beat.
The talented Italian's five-year reign literally came crashing down around him at last season's Valencian season finale, helping Hayden seize the crown after a faultless ride, but Rossi has bounced back menacingly during pre-season testing and looks in awesome form on his new Fiat Yamaha. At this stage, few would bet against The Doctor winning his third successive Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday.
By contrast, Hayden's preparations haven't been so smooth. The Repsol Honda rider had an operation on the shoulder he injured in the infamous crash with team-mate
Dani Pedrosa in Portugal last year and then produced mixed results in testing - with the Qatar outing a notable low point. The Kentuckian may not be a winner this weekend but he will certainly be looking for the sort of solid trouble-free points-scoring ride that swept him to the title last year.
But Rossi's biggest threat, both in Qatar and over the season as a whole, could come in the form of Pedrosa. The former 125 and double 250cc world champion made a sensational MotoGP debut last year - his Estoril antics aside - and has been very impressive in pre-season testing, especially at
Jerez last week where he pushed Rossi to the limit during the 'qualifying session'. The race on Saturday could mark the first of many 2007 battles between the pair.
But others would dismiss such Pedrosa hype - including Italians
Loris Capirossi and
Marco Melandri, who both won one more race than Pedrosa last year (three each) and finished above him, third and fourth respectively, in the championship despite being injured.
