Roberts: Sheene was my rival and inspiration.

Three-times 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts has paid tribute to his great World Championship rival Barry Sheene, who died last Monday [March 10] after an eight-month battle with cancer.

"If it hadn't been for Barry, I wouldn't have been able to do what I did in Grand Prix racing," said Roberts, who took over as World Champion from Sheene in 1978. "To give your best, you have to race someone of equal talent. For me, Barry Sheene was that guy. If he hadn't left Suzuki at the end of 1979, we would had a lot more battles. That took him off the map.

"We had some close races, and there was never anybody I trusted more on the track. When we were [planning] the World Series [a planned breakaway World Championship series of 1980], Barry was one of the first people I spoke to, and he was a fantastic supporter. He always did what he said he was going to do."

Roberts was speaking from Daytona, where he was supporting his second son Kurtis in the rain-delayed 200-Mile race.

"I am shocked and as sad as anybody. Maybe more so," he said. "I spoke to Barry about a ten days ago. He confided in me that only a miracle could save him. We all knew it was coming, but like many others, deep down we hoped there would be that miracle. Hearing the news today was a real shock."

Sheene and Roberts clashed famously on track in the Seventies, in a series of epic battles that were among the best races of all time.