Valentino Rossi has one of, if not the greatest MotoGP legacy of all time and dominated the sport throughout the 2000s.
The combination of the Italian rider and Yamaha helped put the sport in a spotlight and attract a massive fanbase, most of which remains loyal to this day.
One side effect of Rossi’s success is that he became a benchmark around the world, with rivals copying some of his techniques in a bid to find extra speed.
He developed the infamous ‘Doctor Dangle’, wagging his leg out under braking, which so many around the world have since copied.
Rossi had ‘weird’ pre-race rituals at Yamaha, which included touching his ears and knees. It seems he was a very superstitious rider.
After his career came to a brutal end, Rossi was left ‘very sad’ at his final British Grand Prix in 2021, after riding at the highest level for nearly 20 years. His old tricks weren’t enough to compete anymore.
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It has been 20 years since Rossi first used the infamous ‘Doctor Dangle’ to overtake Sete Gibernau at the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix.
It became an important topic of discussion, and soon enough, it became a bit of a modern phenomenon and technique.
However, ex-rival Cal Crutchlow doesn’t believe that it carries any real advantage, and that it was something to calm riders down instead.
“I don’t think it is better. I have a complete theory on it. I genuinely believe it’s like a panic thing. You see when you’re a kid on a bicycle and you see you weren’t going to stop.
“What’s the first thing you’re going to do? You put your foot on the floor and do it like that. I think that current motorcycle riders are so on the limit, the first thing they do is put their foot out.
“They brake and put their foot out, thinking ‘This couldn’t end well.’ You don’t have time to think.”
What does Valentino Rossi think about the ‘Doctor Dangle’?
There’s no definitive answer as to why riders dangle their legs under braking, including Rossi himself, who just says it ‘feels’ right according to Red Bull.
His 2005 move on Gibernau came on the final corner of the last lap en route to winning another world title.
It may be why it was remembered so well and became such a prominent topic of discussion, as the two appeared destined for contact before Rossi pulled the move out.
Nowadays, Rossi finds watching MotoGP a disaster and struggles to cope with the stress of a race if he isn’t on a bike himself.
