Agostini: `Rossi is not finished yet´

Generally regarded as the greatest rider of all time, MotoGP Legend Giacomo Agostini has fired a warning to those harking the end of the second most successful Italian World Champion´s MotoGP reign of dominance: Write Valentino Rossi off at your peril.

The 15-time titlist –untouchable in the 1960´s and 1970´s- has been a longtime fan of Rossi, regarded as his successor in the premier class. Now a spectator rather than a participant in the World Championship, Agostini has seen a dry run for his countryman over the past two years, although he does not feel that the Rossi-era has reached its conclusion just yet.

`Valentino Rossi is not finished yet, like people say. He´s still one of the best riders, and when everything is at 100% I think that he will have a chance to win,´ said Agostini at last weekend´s race in Jerez.

`It is a very difficult championship; there´s a lot of new riders and they are very aggressive. Of course the rider with the number one (Casey Stoner) has it for a reason,´ continued the 65 year-old, who was also pleased with the success of Ducati in 2007.

`For Italian people it is very nice, because Ducati is a small company and they beat all the big factories. They did a lot of hard work, and of course they have a very good rider.´