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WORLD MOTORCYCLING: AN ITALIAN DUEL IN THE 500cc CLASS . All in a Grand Prix: this is what Italian motorcycling fans were looking forward to. At the Mugello race-course, took shape that fratricidal challenge between Italian motorcycles and pilots that at the eve of the season seemed to be the recurring theme. Capirossi, Biaggi and Valentino Rossi: all in an afternoon race. A duel that now involves three athletes who have recently given great satisfaction to the motorbike world. After so many declarations and disputes, at last pilots passed from words to deeds. In the top class, 500cc, the three pilots made two laps at dizzy speed to contend for the first place. A series of overtakes and darts on the race-course glued million people to the TV set. The number of people who watched this Grand Prix, which is the equivalent of Monza for Formula 1, represents the real success of this late afternoon race taking place in Imola. In fact, nearly 5 million people planted themselves in front of the TV to see the duel among three pilots in the last laps of the race: this is a clear sign that this mistreated sport, always on the move from a TV channel to another, has instead a huge potential for growth. This is not one of those sports considered genetic for Italian people, like football or cycle racing. Yet, Formula 1 and motorcycling have undoubtedly a great success among both fans and neutral people, as also demonstrated by the current great popularity of Ferrari and Schumacher in terms of ratings. As with other so-called "accessory" sports, the most important thing in motorcycling is that a winning Italian athlete takes part to competitions. Capirossi, Biaggi and Rossi have also a special charisma, each of them having a different and peculiar but equally interesting character. In the order, the sincere, the schemer and the extrovert, if mixed using the right intensity, can turn out to be a really successful trio in terms of ratings. As it often happens, when two dogs strive for a bone, a third runs away with it. Biaggi and Rossi, the two pilots who have recently distinguished themselves for their heated discussions, engaged in a duel with great intensity and also a touch of wickedness, but in the end they were beaten by Capirossi, who was shrewder in seizing his chance. In the end, the passion with which the two pilots tried to catch up ended up in spoiling what could have been a triumph for Italy. Indeed, the falls of both Biaggi and Rossi were a bitter contrast with the victory gained by Capirossi who now can also have some more chance in his fight with Roberts and Checa for the world title.  For this year, after the presumed glory and the consequent sorry figure, an Italian pilot may be sufficient to contend for a title that, before the start of the season with our three presumed protagonists, Italy almost seemed to have already won.  Paolo Ghisoni

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