We promise this is very last you’ll be hearing about this year’s 2011 Ducati and Ferrari Vrooom event, but we couldn’t let you miss seeing this last video that sums up the entire week’s activities, with some behind the scenes that you may have missed and we’re sure couldn’t live without seeing.

Enjoy.

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Shoulder or no shoulder, Valentino Rossi just couldn’t resist in taking part in last night’s final and highly anticipated event of the 2011 Vrooom, racing Fiat Cinqucentos and go-karts on ice.

In both races where everyone was expecting a big showdown between Rossi and Fernando Alonso, ultimately the Italian got his butt kicked by Ferrari’s Alonso, and even by his own Ducati team mate Nicky Hayden.

In the go-kart race, Alonso who now seems to appreciate Rossi’s talents, led all 20 laps and took the victory with Felipe Massa taking second, Hayden third, while Rossi only finished fifth. The Fiat Cinquecento ice race, saw Alonso win again, Hayden finish second, and Rossi take third.

Valentino Rossi talking about his first Vrooom said: “This week has been a spectacular event, and the races at the end were a lot of fun. In the end, I decided to take part because the atmosphere here at Wrooom was so fantastic, and because the fans deserved it. I got a few jolts from the holes, but nothing too bad. It was worth it.”

“This was my third Wrooom, and I think it was the best one yet”. said Nicky Hayden. “It seems like they just make it better every year. They really treat us good, and we make a lot of friends, and it’s great to see them each year. This is a great way to kick things off, but there’s been enough talking about everything now. It’s time to get out there and do the real thing. I look forward to it.”

Continue reading: Valentino Rossi gets his butt kicked in kart and car ice race (w/video)

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While we’re waiting to see the official pics of Ducati’s GP11 machine, or as Nicky Hayden fondly calls it “the weapon”, here’s a highlight video of the team presentation at the Vrooom event.

For those of you who don’t understand Italian, Valentino Rossi, who is known for being more of night person jokingly says: “I’m not that sleepy, even if I’ve never done press conferences this early … I can talk Italian, but speaking English before noon would have been a lot more difficult” he also added more seriously, “Many people would like see me immediately fast with the Ducati from the first test and the first race, but unfortunately it will take time and hopefully the fans will be patient and wait for us.”

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Every year in January, the elegant ski resort town of Madonna del Campiglio gets invaded by the Ferrari/Ducati Vrooom press ski event and the crazed fans of the two best internationally known Made in Italy manufacturers.

Judging by this photo taken by Nicky Hayden, Madonna del Campiglio has now on it’s way in becoming a second Mugello stronghold with Rossi fans in their usual frenzy, despite the sub zero temperatures.

Source | nickyhayden@twitter

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Valentino Rossi finally was able to speak during this morning’s Ducati press conference, to a packed house at the Palacongressi auditorium at Madonna del Campiglio, the attention was focused around Rossi’s shoulder injury, that hindered his 2010 season and the post season test at Valencia, much more than his broken leg did.

Here’s what he said during the conference: “There’s still a lot of work to do, but everything is going well, I’m a little ahead on the recovery process, but it’s race against time to be in shape for the 1st of February. Yes, the test was very important and we got a more precise idea … important and difficult to set-up, unfortunately at Valencia I couldn’t ride, I didn’t have any strength left in my right arm, I wasn’t fit, I’ll have to try to ride this bike when I’m back in shape, when I’m 100% fit.”

“We’ve got an important job to do on the Desmo16, but naturally I’ll have to be healthy, that’s the most important thing. Obviously I won’t be in great shape for the test in Malaysia, but we’re working hard to recover shoulder mobility that I’ll need to ride and to tuck in on the straightways. I hope to be okay, but it’ll be almost impossibile to have a lot of strength, I’ll need more time, so it’ll be a race against time. It would have been better to be fit immediately, but I probably won’t be. Unfortunately my shoulder situation was much more serious than we were expecting it to be. From the check-ups I did during the season, it seemed less serious, instead it was much bigger than we thought, the doctors told me that my shoulder will recover 100% but it will take a little more time. Not only do we have to fix the Desmo, we have to fix me.”

Continue reading: Valentino Rossi talks about shoulder, Ducati and rivals

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Wrooom isn’t only presenting the Ferrari and Ducati 2011 racing teams, it’s also a promotional vehicle for the manufacturers latest products. So here’s Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden posing with the still controversial Diavel, Ducati’s newest addition to their line-up.

Hayden has already done his bit promoting the Diavel, but this is Rossi’s first time and no, we don’t think they’ll be a video of him doing a burnout with it.

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This is what everyone was waiting to see, how Ducati would blend in Valentino Rossi’s trademark yellow in their traditional red leathers and here’s the result that was presented this morning at the Vrooom event.

While Nicky Hayden looks great in his new Dainese leathers, Rossi looks like a dream, a mushroom provoked one. Certainly his leathers aren’t the latest regarding a fashion statement, but what the hell everyone will forgive Ducati and Rossi about the color clashes by the time the first race comes around.

The classical Ducati red has become more pale, they’ve added a lot more white and black and in Rossi’s case also the yellow, have lost the traditional Marlboro bar codes, with the Generali logo getting a lot bigger with new sponsors AMG and Diesel getting their spot in the limelight.

The Ducati GP 11 racing livery will be revealed tomorrow.

Continue reading: Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden in their new Ducati leathers

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The long awaited racing battle between Valentino Rossi and Ferrarista Fernando Alonso may not take place at all in this year’s Vrooom event.

Apparently Rossi is still not in tip top shape after his shoulder surgery (which doesn’t sound good) and doesn’t want to take any chances that could compromise his recovery just for the fun of racing on ice with a Panda 4×4 or go-kart or whatever they’ll be using this year.

Father Graziano who accompanied his son to Madonna del Campiglio, and will race anything on two wheels or four that will drift, could step in to take his son’s place in the highlight event.

According to the Gazzetta dello Sport between photoshoots, press conferences and the fun and games of the Vroom event, Rossi will continue his hard rehabilitation process (at the hotel’s pool and gym) and fitness training to try to be ready for the Sepang test in February.

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While bad weather at Madonna del Campiglio may have postponed the official opening of the 2011 Ferrari/Ducati Vrooom, all the riders/drivers were present and what every journalist and crazed fan was waiting for to see, Valentino Rossi finally dressed in red.

Rossi will be officially presented tomorrow morning, but the Italian did exchange a few words with the press when he arrived on a Vrooom liveried car at the Hotel des Alpes, saying: “Better late than never, here I am.” adding that his “shoulder is a little better, I hope to improve in the next test.”

Source | sport.repubblica.it, video via gpone.com

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The traditional week long Vrooom event at Madonna di Campiglio organized by Ferrari and Ducati, that kicks off January 10th to present the teams to the international press will have everyone drooling. Not only will we finally see livery that Ducati has thought up for the 2011 season, Valentino Rossi will finally be liberated from his Yamaha gag order, and will be able to talk freely during the Ducati press conference that will be held on Tuesday the 11th.

Friday will see the “Challenge Exhibition” where the Ducati riders and Ferrari drivers will face off during the organized ice races, usually on 4-wheels (last year on the 4×4 Panda’s was won by Felippe Massa and shifter go karts race by Nicky Hayden).

What will be interesting is that Rossi should be (depends on his shoulder) racing against Fernando Alonso. The two champions, once upon time provoked each other, that resulted in ruffled feathers and testosterone levels sky rocketing, to the joy of sports journalists.

Continue reading: 2011 Vrooom - Rossi vs Alonso

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