http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Poggiali+departs+from+World+Championship+scene

I wonder what this illness is.

The illness not withstanding, his career mystifies me a bit. Here's a 125cc and 250cc champion that for whatever reason made the top class. This chapter now adds to the mystery.

Well at least the implication is that his 'illness' was the reason behind his lack of competitiveness, because he just had a precipitous decline in his performance & results the last 4-5 years now.

Not bad to be able to retire a multiple world champion even though one can't help but feel that his career was short changed due to this mystery illness.

After his 250 title he became odd and erratic in his riding - I'd always heard it was psychological but maybe not.

maybe he's blind. always wearing sunglasses, you know. that could be a difficult obstacle over time.

Could definitely explain being erratic.

Sorry kiddies, I was away on vacay for a little while there.

I was sorry to hear about the Poggiali thing... and it is indeed quite mysterious.

I'm 99% sure that whatever issue he had/has is mental. I have never heard of anything that is physically wrong with him. The press are pretty good about keeping their distance on this one.

When he left the scene a couple of years ago, they were saying he just needed a break and some time to think about things.

Before his comeback this year, he was saying things about maturing and having time to figure out what he really wanted. He did also say that he was then 100% sure that he wanted to go back to racing GP bikes.

The last I heard was that he had a big crash in practice in Germany, and it didn't go over well with him. He skipped the race, but the team insisted that he really wasn't able to race, and not that he had just said no, while still being physically able.

But he never went back after that. Someone at some point did mention that the crash might have scared him a bit. But nobody really knows (or wants to say) for sure.

Anyway, it is a strange/sad story.

Oh, and he is one of the few guys to beat Rolfo fair and square. (just kidding)

robertorolfo - 26 August 2008 11:04 AM

I was away on vacay for a little while there.

You were? Thanks for the apology for coming back.

that's not too uncommon. you don't hear about it much at that level but had 2 really fast friends quit after a third died.

Nothing wrong with being human. Wayne Gardner admitted that at a certain point thoughts of his own mortality were affecting his racing and caused him to slow down and eventually retire.

hi-zoot - 26 August 2008 09:55 AM

maybe he's blind. always wearing sunglasses, you know. that could be a difficult obstacle over time.

HAHAHAHA...you're a funny guy...but looks aren't everything!

on a side note, wouldn't surprise me if it was revealed that Poggiali was Davide Tardozzi's love child

garyb425 - 26 August 2008 01:07 PM

Nothing wrong with being human. Wayne Gardner admitted that at a certain point thoughts of his own mortality were affecting his racing and caused him to slow down and eventually retire.

In the documentary Faster, Shwantz moreless said the same thing.