Italy receives Rossi and Pedrosa leading the overall MotoGP and 125 standings.
And Toni Elias arrives in Mugello only five points behind of the leader Manuel Poggiali
The main protagonist of the weekend will be with no doubt the Repsol rider and local hero Valentino Rossi, who will arrive in his home country ready to get his revenge after the defeat in the French Grand Prix. Winner of the last Italian Grand Prix, Rossi is now leading the 2003 World Championship with an advantage of 23 points over the following rider, his fellow-countryman Max Biaggi. And whilst Rossi is getting ready for the patriotic duel, his team-mate Nicky Hayden will again be confronted to the situation he already was aware of during the preseason. New country, new circuit and only four hours in two days (Friday and Saturday) to do homework. His eighth position in the overall standings is a clear proof of the Repsol riders will and quality in his rookie season in this category.
In the 250cc, the man to be beaten after his last two performances should be Toni Elias. After the victory in Jerez and the following victory in Le Mans, Toni arrives in Italy close, very close to the leadership, given the fact that in addition to his victory in France, Poggiali crashed at the beginning of the race, thus reducing the San Marino riders advantage to only five points. A little bit more in the back, there is his team-mate Fonsi Nieto, who despite a bad season start is working hard to get back the rhythm and the competitiveness he had shown last year. In France he missed a podium finish for only a few tenths of a second, but his rhythm during the race proved that Nieto and his team are back on the right way. In Mugello, where he finished third last year, Nieto will try to repeat the podium finish, if possible improving the third place he clinched in 2002. But who will really be looking forward to Italy will be Sebastián Porto. After being hit by Poggiali and crashing in France he will surely be longing to make up for the blank on the square sheet and get as many points as possible in Italy. And while the three Repsol spearheads will be fighting for a place on the podium, Jorge Martínez Aspars two pupils, Joan Olivé and Héctor Faubel, will be trying to repeat or even improve in Italy the results obtained in France, where Olivé finished tenth and Faubel eleventh.
In the minor category Dani Pedrosa arrives in Italy leading the championship after his show of strength in France, although he has already warned that it wont be easy to escape and win in Mugello, given the many Italian riders who will be giving it all for a victory. Pablo Nieto and Héctor Barberá, fifth and eleventh in France, keep on fighting for a podium finish. Pablo has been closer to achieve his aim, but bad luck has hindered the Repsol rider from getting the precious podium place for the moment. Italy will be a complicated race for both of them, but these young promises have already surprised us more than once with their speed on the track.
