PARIS - Six-time world champion Valentino Rossi, the undisputed king of two wheels, sets out on another MotoGP campaign on Sunday determined to avoid the misery which has befallen Michael Schumacher, his counterpart on four wheels.
Rossi confounded the doomsayers last season by picking up his fourth successive world title in the top category, to add to his 125cc and 250cc titles, despite having switched from Honda to a Yamaha machine.
He will start as overwhelming favourite once again when the new season starts in Jerez on Sunday but Spain's Sete Gibernau, who pushed him all the way last season in a thrilling, sometimes acrimonious duel, will be the rival with the most optimism.
Gibernau's fellow Honda rider Max Biaggi, another not usuallly on Rossi's Christmas card list, should not be discounted.
However, like Schumacher and his ailing Ferrari, recent testing has not been satisfactory for the 27-year-old Rossi.
At the last official test, which took place at Jerez last week, the Italian completed the day with just the fourth fastest time.
Rossi completed 96 laps on the final day of testing but suffered a handful of complications.
"During the afternoon we tried some new things and they didn't go quite as well as we had hoped," admitted Rossi.
"We had some troubles in the braking sections because the bike was quite nervous when the tyre was coming to an end.
"We know we can do better and what we have to improve, so we are not too worried, it's just that there is not quite enough rear grip after I've done a lot of laps.
"The front is okay because we already fixed that in Barcelona. Anyway, I'm now really happy to finish the testing and I am feeling okay about the first race, the bike has good potential and I am looking forward to a good battle this year."
The new 17-race season will open in Europe for the first time in 20 years and will, also for the first time visit Turkey and return to the United States while the South African and Brazil rounds have been dropped.
A handful of young riders, including the likes of Nicky Hayden, Marco Melandri and John Hopkins, all under the age of 23, were the three fastest riders at the Jerez test, with Hayden lapping almost a full second inside Rossis pole position record from last season.
Those potential threats should add to the drama of a new qualifying system which will debut this weekend with three free practice sessions (two on Friday and one on Saturday morning) followed by a single qualifying practice on the eve of Sunday's race.
Rossi will be partnered at Yamaha this year by American Colin Edwards while Spanish duo Toni Elias and Ruben Xaus also join the Japanese factory.
Troy Bayliss has left Ducati for Honda to partner Alex Barros while former Yamaha rider Carlos Checa joins the Italian team in place of Bayliss as team-mate to Loris Capirossi.
Former 250cc riders Roberto Rolfo and Franco Battaini will make their MotoGP debuts this weekend riding for DAntin Ducati and Blata WCM respectively.
Rossi begins his title defence at a circuit where he boasts a stronger record than any other rider, having taken five previous wins there on 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP machinery.
Gibernau, meanwhile, will once again rely on hometown support where 125,000 people roared him to victory in the rain last season.
04/07/2005 00:30 GMT