As far as Agostini is concerned and please don’t take me wrong I think Ago was a remarkable rider but his opposition was???...and what I'm talking about is this...and I quote:
"After the 1967 season, the famous "easy years" began for Agostini, except perhaps the splendid clashes with the Benelli mounted fellow Italian; Renzo Pasolini. The majority of these duels took place in the domestic Italian championships. In the world championships, Ago and the MV dominated as win followed win in an apparently endless sequence.
It was not until the middle of the 1971 season when a young rider from Finland arrived on the scene riding his own two stroke Yamaha's; Jarno Saarinen started to upset the long domination of Agostini and 350cc MV combination.
It looked as if things were all set for fireworks in the '73 season as Saarinen now a works Yamaha rider, and equipped with a very potent 500cc to challenge Ago in the premier class. After winning the first two rounds of the 500cc tragedy struck at the third round at Monza.
Saarinen was killed along with Renzo Pasolini in a horrendous pile up during the 250cc race. This left MV and Ago once again in a commanding position, but the factory decided to recruit Englishman Phil Read to ride as team-mate to Agostini and assist the development of a new four cylinder model earmarked to replace the glorious but obsolescent three cylinders"
"After the 1967 season, the famous "easy years" began for Agostini, except perhaps the splendid clashes with the Benelli mounted fellow Italian; Renzo Pasolini. The majority of these duels took place in the domestic Italian championships. In the world championships, Ago and the MV dominated as win followed win in an apparently endless sequence.
It was not until the middle of the 1971 season when a young rider from Finland arrived on the scene riding his own two stroke Yamaha's; Jarno Saarinen started to upset the long domination of Agostini and 350cc MV combination.
It looked as if things were all set for fireworks in the '73 season as Saarinen now a works Yamaha rider, and equipped with a very potent 500cc to challenge Ago in the premier class. After winning the first two rounds of the 500cc tragedy struck at the third round at Monza.
Saarinen was killed along with Renzo Pasolini in a horrendous pile up during the 250cc race. This left MV and Ago once again in a commanding position, but the factory decided to recruit Englishman Phil Read to ride as team-mate to Agostini and assist the development of a new four cylinder model earmarked to replace the glorious but obsolescent three cylinders"