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“LEGENDS NEVER DIE”
“REMEMBERING THE KENTUCKY KID”
“RIDE ON KENTUCKY KID”
“The first time I heard talk about Nicky was about a very good rider coming from the USA to MotoGP. When he arrived, you could see at the beginning that he was really American and he really felt a lot of this country -- it was different, no? It was authentic. Everybody understood at that moment that he needed some time, but he learned very quickly and after four years he won the championship. I loved his style -- coming from dirt track, he had amazing slides for photographs to have that poster in your room. That was what everybody loved about him -- his riding style and his style outside the bike. He was kind with everybody and everybody you ask will says he’s a good man. Of course he did a great, great championship in 2006, he worked for that a lot and fought for his dream. He arrived one day and Pedrosa made him fall, losing some very important points for the championship...and it looks like I was his help, no? He did the job, but I give back the situation that he worked a lot for. I remember in Valencia when he won the title -- his father, his mother, him all come to me and say “Hey, thank you very much. I will never forget this thing.” After that I know Roger, I know Tommy, and I know his family, but the only one I was in contact was with him. Sometimes he’d send me a private message on Twitter and we’d always be exchanging some sort of information. We had a very good relation- ship and then well, I remember last year in Barber when he came to see Roger, he made me into a joke, no? We were waiting inside the office and it was Roger, Nicky, and me. He said “Toni, can you go out of the office ‘cause I need to talk in private with my brother?” and I said “Oh, yeah. Don’t worry, of course!” and he goes “Hah! It’s a joke, man. Don’t take it serious.” We had these kind of nice moments. Everyone will remember him for his style, his victories, and his championship, but more than that as a human. He was authentic and good-hearted and his family also, they are per- fect. It’s sad, no? I believe in destiny and and it’s sad, but it was his time. At the end, we have to see the positive things. He put the prints on the heart of the people and finally he found his dream to be MotoGP World Champion, it’s incredible!”
-TONI ELIAS
WWW.GRITMOTO.COM
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