Motor Racing: Italian ace to don leathers at Pukekohe

By Bob Pearce

When Giacomo Agostini burst on to the international racing scene at the West German Grand Prix near Stuttgart in 1964, Kiwi Hugh Anderson was already a motorcycling world champion.

But like every other competitor at the Solitude circuit that day, he sat up and took notice when Agostini, a lithe Italian barely out of his teens, finished second on a 250cc Morini in what was his first grand prix.

Thirty-five years and 122 350cc and 500cc grand prix victories later, Agostini met Anderson again yesterday as they prepared in Auckland for the classic motorcycling festival at Pukekohe this weekend.

"When I saw him pull out of a huge slide he had near the pits I knew he was something special. Everybody did," said Anderson, who himself won world titles in the 50cc and 125cc classes.

Agostini won no fewer than 15 world titles in the 350cc and 500cc classes, most of them on the MV bikes he will demonstrate at Pukekohe.

"Why has no one else won so many? I used to work 16 hours when they worked eight. Nobody rides two classes any more," Agostini said.

"They go quicker these days, but then our brakes and tyres were not as good.

"When I moved up to the 500s, I found them so heavy. When I fell in one race, I had to ask one of the spectators to come and help me pick the bike up."
Agaostini has never been to New Zealand before but he knows a lot about New Zealanders.

He raced against Huntly star Ginger Molloy and when he went into team management, one of his riders was Graham Crosby.

These days he is something of an ambassador for MV, which is now owned by the Cagiva organisation.

There is a new MV 750cc road bike and there are plans to develop a machine either for the 500c or Superbike world championship.

Pictured: Former world motorcycle champion Hugh Anderson (left) with Giacomo Agostini. HERALD PICTURE / GLENN JEFFREY