Max Biaggi's dig at Valentino Rossi is actually a compliment

During a recent interview with Mediaset’s Studio Sport XXL show, Max Biaggi (who now works for the Italian broadcaster) said, “Valentino Rossi is like Copperfield! Despite two bad years, he got the world champion bike!’ and regarding Rossi’s chances of winning the 2013 championship added, “only in the imagination of some people could Valentino come back to win.

”Many Italians took the former World Superbike champions comment as another dig against Rossi, remembering the good old days when the Rossi–Biaggi feuds used to separate the country’s motorcycle fans on who is/was a better rider, which still happens even today.

However, the two former rivals have considerably mellowed out towards each other over the last years, with Rossi even becoming one of Biaggi’s followers on Twitter last December, when they both partecipated in the “Sic Supermoto Day” charity event.
Not wanting to be misunderstand on his ‘Copperfield’ comment, Biaggi decided to clear the air with two tweets:“Saying Rossi is like Copperfield was meant to be a compliment.
Only a magician like him could recover so well after two years that were so difficult” and “Getting back on the world championship winning Yamaha with Lorenzo was anything but easy.

I wish them both good luck.
”Biaggi debuts this weekend as Italia 1’s World Superbike commentator.