Then he will have no reluctance in naming his greatest moment.Further back, the British riders Neil Hodgson and Shane Byrne broke the old lap record in yesterday's qualifying session. We are taking ourselves to very high limits with every race."Biaggi, 33, has four 250cc titles, but is plotting to win the prestige MotoGP crown for 990cc bikes before time runs out on him. He is moody, a man able to ooze Italian charm, or respond in enigmatic grunts.What changes is he making to his bike for this circuit? "Just details." What has been his best moment of the season? "I'm not ready to answer." Who is your most dangerous opponent? "It doesn't matter." Which is the best bike, the Honda or the Yamaha? "The Kawasaki..." You get the drift.Rossi has set the pace so far this year, winning four of the eight races. But Honda are recovering from an early-season wobble, and are giving their riders better handling to match the power advantage they already have over Yamaha.The last of the 16 acts in the MotoGP show will unfold in the final round at Valencia on 31 October and here is a mid-season tip: Rossi will finish second or third in the championship, unable to overcome Honda's army of six riders and the all-round competence of the RC211V.The goatee-bearded Biaggi, who handles a razor as deftly as he angles his bike through a corner, will emerge as the hero. I am learning about everything - the bike and the team, and how I can perform at my best."Sometimes I go fast, then Valentino goes faster, and I respond. "I have never been in a situation before where I had the chance to fight in every race for a world championship. Today I made a small mistake when I selected fourth gear instead of third on a corner.

But the settings and the bike are good, and I love this racetrack."Gibernau, 31, is a Spanish grandee. His family used to make the classic Bultaco motorcycle, and he desperately wants to win his first world title for a country where bike racing rivals football in popularity "My best is yet to come," Gibernau pledged. At 25 he has already won five world titles, but thrives on the challenge of beating Honda, for whom he rode last year, with his underdog Yamaha."This gives me great motivation," the London-based Rossi said "We start from zero - it's like being young again. Rossi is the upstart who has swapped a BMX bike for a 215mph missile with a car-sized engine. Victory over 30 laps of the 2.5-mile circuit could indicate which of the Latin trio will emerge as world champion by the end of the championship in Spain, in October.The three main challengers have unique, but equally vibrant, personalities.

It was at the par-three 17th that Els made his fatal error, missing the green left and missing his putt for par.It is the example of Troon's most famous short hole, the 123-yard Postage Stamp - where Els had a hole in one in the first round - that should concentrate the minds of the governing bodies and the course designers Small can be beautiful. Some defenders of the faith, such as Pat Ruddy, who designed and runs the European Club in Ireland, an impressive addition to the links collection, accuse the R & A of dereliction of duty in failing to control the revolution in hi-tech clubs and balls. But Biaggi won here last year, and will be eager to muscle through from his third-row start today. He admitted that he had not approached things properly, but declined to elucidate whether that was on a mechanical, mental or physical level. "Let's just leave it at that," he responded, and that was that.It is probably academic, anyway. Only a diehard optimist would doubt that he will add a third German Grand Prix victory to his tally this afternoon.