Valentino Rossi admits his recovery from injury leaves him with only an outside chance of winning at Misano this weekend.
World champion heads home more in hope than expectation
Valentino Rossi admits his recovery from injury leaves him with only an outside chance of earning a third straight MotoGP victory at Misano this weekend.
The Fiat Yamaha rider triumphed on home soil on his way to world titles in 2008 and 2009 but has yet to return to full fitness after suffering a broken leg in June.
Although Rossi finished fourth at Indianapolis last Sunday, he believes another win in front of his adoring crowd will be a difficult task to achieve.
He said: "In Indianapolis we made some progress with our race setting but the conditions made me realise that I'm still not 100 per cent fit.
"It's hard going straight to Misano with no break but hopefully it will be a little bit cooler than Indy. Of course it's my home race and it's near my house so it's always very special to race there, in front of all of my fans.
"I have won there the last two years but this year we come in slightly different circumstances. Still, we will be trying our hardest and I really hope I can give the fans a good show."
Motivated
Rossi's absence means team-mate Jorge Lorenzo now stands as champion-elect by virtue of the massive championship lead he built in the Italian's absence.
That lead was whittled down a little in the States after Lorenzo finished third behind fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa - the first time he had finished outside the top two all season - but with seven rounds remaining he appears a shoe-in for the title.
Lorenzo said: "We are going straight to Misano and I want to continue in the same way and get on the podium again.
"I've been second there for the last two years and I am feeling very motivated and looking forward to another good race. I hope the temperature is a bit cooler than in Indy because it was really too hot there.
"Last Sunday was my worst result this year, but I am still happy because it was still third and because it was very important for our goal, which is the championship."
