(January 11, 2011) Without question the biggest Ducati event of 2010 was the signing of Valentino Rossi to the Ducati MotoGP team for a 2 year contract beginning in 2011. Ducati News Today has long led the charge as to why Rossi would end up on a Ducati and now that he has Ducatisti and MotoGP fans alike are intently following every little detail.

Almost as if it was written in a script, Rossi appeared to struggle during his first (injured) ride on the Ducati at the post season test at Valencia where he lapped 3rd slowest. Still few should bet against Jeremy Burgess and the Doctor sorting the Ducati out prior to the commencement of hostilities next year.

After all, the pair took a very uncompetitive Yamaha in 2004 and made it into the class of the field it is today. Still the competition will be enormous. Yamaha retains the best bike and best rider of 2010 in World Champion Jorge Lorenzo who is joined by rapidly rising star and alien elect, Ben Spies.

Meanwhile former Ducati pilot and 2007 World Champion, Casey Stoner will be mounted on a Honda and has shown off his speed on the bike already. One of his team mates will be Dani Pedrosa who this year broke through to look like a title threat prior to an injury caused by a malfunction of his machine.

Here’s hoping that 2011 won’t be the largely dull procession that was MotoGP this year and that number 46 is fighting right out front from the get go.

Source: Ducati News Today