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World motorcycle championship: Locatelli is doing well Locatelli started his career rapidly, winning the Grand Prix in Italy. A pole position and soon after a good contract signed with Aprilia, the Noale-based motorcycle maker historically ready to invest on young Italian talents. Yet, as it sometimes happens in sport, it is easy to surprise but much less easy to confirm these good results. And thus Roberto Locatelli, a 26 years-old extrovert pilot, after having won in 1994 the second place in the team after Biaggi, has to deal with an agonistic crisis. In fact, the early success only keeps him away from the professionalism world. Locatelli, who is used to going out with friends at night, is forced to become part of an environment that requires mental freshness and all available energies, in order to be able to test one's motorcycle, raise it like a daughter and improve results. Yet, it is right this continuity that gradually becomes the weak point of the promising champion from Bergamo who, season after season, begins to decline. After many Grand Prix races "Loca", as he is called in his team, fumbles behind Biaggi and Valentino Rossi, who have both managed to rapidly come to the top. Comparison, when positive results are lacking, are irritating and also heavy like stones from a psychological viewpoint.  At the end, after 2 seasons in the 250 cc category, in 1997 Roberto has to accept relegation into the 125 cc category. But here again it's always the same old story: the motorcycle racer, who meanwhile has moved to Montecarlo, fails even in that category where he had first met success.  In the end, after almost 70 Grand Prix races, the only exploit of the former promising champion, who meanwhile has been hired by Honda, is a third place in Germany in late 1998. The turning point is in 1999, with his comeback to Aprilia: a first victory in France, but above all the fourth place in the world championship.  It is the start of recovery, which is also linked to the collaboration with rock star Vasco Rossi, who is a motorcycle lover and even sets up a team with Roberto as the first pilot. From a "Zero" (as he defined himself after his victory in the decisive Grand Prix of Japan) Locatelli becomes the world champion in his class. After many failures and unreachable myths, Locatelli finally meets with success and also finds a mental balance that will soon lead him to marriage with Manuela, his fiancée.  Now Roberto has almost achieved his "mission", paying back the expectations and the investment of those who still trusted him, and managing to become the king of a category that in the past saw 13 other triumphant Italians, taking back the title in the 125 cc class to Italy after the success of Valentino Rossi, his famous predecessor. We say almost because now Locatelli could be tempted to try again to compete in the 250 cc category with the right maturity, but on the other hand his pride could suggest him to compete in the 125 cc class for another season as the number one. It is a difficult but sweet dilemma, after years of pains.  Paolo Ghisoni

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