Australia : Michelin - Preview

_{source: moto.racing-live.com}

Michelin man Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) may already have wrapped up his fifth straight title with Michelin but he's on a mission at Phillip Island to do something he's never done before - win a fifth straight victory at the same track.

Like most riders, four-time Phillip Island winner Rossi counts the Australian GP venue as one of his all-time favourite circuits, so victory here is always special. The seaside venue is the fastest racetrack in MotoGP (following recently commenced alterations to Assen that have emasculated the historic Dutch venue) and is renowned for producing thrillingly close racing, which is why Aussie fans will especially appreciate the huge Michelin superscreens erected at eight popular spectating points around the circuit.

Phillip Island's high-speed layout also produces some of the highest tyre temperatures of the season, so the circuit also offers a special challenge for tyre designers. No surprise then that Michelin has enjoyed a 100 per cent victory record at this track - that's ten wins from ten Phillip Island premier-class races since 1989.

Of course, Rossi isn't the only man capable of snatching victory on Sunday. The next four riders in the World Championship, all of them on Michelin tyres, are currently separated by just nine points, so Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), Marco Melandri (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V-Michelin), Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) need every point they can get with just three races to go. Meanwhile MotoGP number two Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V-Michelin) is still bidding for his first win of 2005.