Valentino Rossi: Stronger than ever

He achieved his first podium of the World Championship at the 1996 Austrian GP, and the last one at the 2015 German GP. 18 years and 342 days have passed between them. Common in both, illusion and hard work. And it is that Valentino Rossi is stronger than ever. At 36 years old, he has resurfaced with an unusual and surprising strength for most, few were those who could have imagined the Italian leading MotoGP once the halfway point of the 2015 season had been surpassed.

But that and no other is the reality when the World Championship faces its second half starting this weekend with the Indianapolis GP. Its decisive phase begins, in which each of the contenders will play their cards and two Spaniards will try to complicate El Doctor's dream of achieving his tenth world crown. The best positioned, his teammate Jorge Lorenzo, second in the standings thirteen points behind; and the one who has become an underdog, although he is not really one, Marc Márquez, fourth sixty-five points behind but with no intention of giving up and leaving the feeling that he is improving, which can be very unsettling for his rivals considering his talent and potential.

Consistency can be one of the keys to what remains. The Yamaha riders have scored in every race so far, and in the case of the leader, without stepping off the podium. The Honda's bet (the only one after Pedrosa's problems) has been less constant, with three zeroes in its tally and only four podium finishes (two of them being the top step). So, MotoGP is still alive and it's time to enjoy...