18: GP De La Comunitat Valenciana 07 (News) - TheYellowCommunity.com - Valentino Rossi

czajkowskyj · **18: GP De La Comunitat Valenciana 07 (News) -** 29.10.2007, 23:05

Edwards set for factory farewell.

Monday, 29th October 2007

Valencia will be special weekend for Colin Edwards, who will make his final appearance for the factory Yamaha team before joining Herve Poncharal's satellite Tech 3 outfit in 2008
Amongst Edwards' highlights during three seasons with the factory team were the 2005 teams' and constructors' titles and a new MotoGP

record of 17 point-scoring finishes. The Texan has also taken six M1 podiums, and came within one corner of a debut victory at Assen 2006.

This season, the former double World Superbike champion has taken a best finish of second and currently sits eighth in the points - just two ahead of fellow American Nicky Hayden.

"This season hasn't really turned out exactly how we had planned, there have been some high points and some low points but all I'm thinking about now is making sure that Valencia is one of the high ones!" said Edwards. "The last two races have been especially difficult but we're starting with a clean slate on Friday morning and we'll go from there. Of course it is not easy to win races in this series but that's the target we start off with at every grand prix.

"My guys have worked so hard all season and I really want to give them something to be proud of at the last race. It's going to be a strange race - my last with the team - but I'm really happy that I'm staying within the Yamaha family. My wife and a few friends from home are coming over too so I hope we can make it a weekend to celebrate," he added.

"This is Colin's final race with the factory team but he will be staying with Yamaha, which is important to us," stated team director Davide Brivio. "From our point of view he has been a great guy to work with and the combination with Valentino has been fantastic. In 2005, during his first season with the team, we won the teams' and constructors' titles, which was a great achievement together. That is why we are happy for him to stay in the Yamaha family and we wish him the very best for next season."

Edwards will join double WSBK champion James Toseland

at Tech 3 next year, with 250cc champion Jorge Lorenzo taking his seat alongside Rossi at the factory team.

czajkowskyj · 30.10.2007, 01:13

Rossi chases consolation victory.

Monday, 29th October 2007

Valentino Rossi is looking to end a disappointing MotoGP season on a high, with victory at this weekend's Valencia season finale. Few believed that Rossi's 2007 season could turn out worse than 2006, when the Italian sustained a shock title defeat at the very final round, but this year Rossi and Yamaha were defeated with three rounds to go - and are yet to match even their 2006 total of wins, podiums, pole positions or points.

The 2006 season consisted of 17 rounds - one less than this year, due to the addition of the San Marino Grand Prix

to the world championship calendar.

Comparing last season's 17 rounds with the 17 rounds prior to Valencia this year, Rossi has taken four wins (five in 2006), eight podiums (ten in 2006), four poles (five in 2006) and has 241 points (247 in 2006) - despite suffering three DNFs last year, but only two non-scores this year.

Given those stats, it's no surprise that the former five-times MotoGP

champion is demanding significant progress from both his machine and tyres for 2008 - something Yamaha is already working on.

"This is the last race of 2007 but we are already looking ahead to the 2008 season, which starts with testing at Valencia next Tuesday!" said team director Davide Brivio. "Already some of our work with the bike is targeted at next year but we also have one more race to contest and we want to be competitive."

A Valencia victory would not only provide a welcome boost heading into the off-season - but also make Rossi the first rider to reach 100 podium finishes in the 58-year history of premier-class grand prix racing.

"It's been a long and hard season and now we've finally arrived at the last race and we are all hoping that we can have a good weekend," said Rossi. "More than anything I want to win and give everyone in the team a happy end to the season; motivation is still very high and we will be doing the best we can in Valencia. Second place is not first but it is still important because I have not been outside the top two since 1996 and I want to keep that going."

The Valencian Grand Prix

is the 100th race since the new era of four-stroke MotoGP

was introduced in 2002. Rossi is one of only three riders to have appeared in every single one - the other two being Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa - taking an incredible 49 victories along the way.