Joined Mar 2006
1K Posts | 71+
US
We're all familiar with the psychological aspect of Rossi's success. He supposedly got in the heads of Biaggi, Gibernau, and now, possibly, Stoner. However, is it Rossi himself who breaks these guys down, or is it the media scrutiny?
If the challenger is put under the microscope, expected to fold under some mind-bending exercise from The Doctor, does that make things more difficult? Who is examined more closely for signs of psychological fatigue? Who is expected to fail? Who has to deal with more pressure from onlookers? (albeit, high expectations for Rossi can't be comforting either).
So, my question is: Does Valentino really get into other riders' heads? Or is it all a creation of the media and fans?
If the challenger is put under the microscope, expected to fold under some mind-bending exercise from The Doctor, does that make things more difficult? Who is examined more closely for signs of psychological fatigue? Who is expected to fail? Who has to deal with more pressure from onlookers? (albeit, high expectations for Rossi can't be comforting either).
So, my question is: Does Valentino really get into other riders' heads? Or is it all a creation of the media and fans?