Paddock Porty Valencia

US basketball legend Michael Jordan is here in Valencia to catch a glimpse of MotoGP. The former Chicago Bulls star sponsors a US Superbike team. The circuit ran out of VIP suites and had to hastily convert a pit garage into luxury accommodation for the superstar.

New Yamaha recruit Colin Edwards took to the water courtesy of the BMW Oracle Racing Crew before this race. The Texan was aboard a 40-foot racing yacht with Makoto Tamada, Loris Capirossi and Alex Hofmann sailing out of the Real Club Nautico in Valencia. “You don’t realise how much action goes into sailing until you get on the boat,” he said.

Valencia will hold the last ever BMW Boxer Cup round this weekend. The series has been going since 1999 and riders of the calibre of Randy Mamola, Luca Cadalora, Kevin Schwantz and Jorge Martinez have participated in the long-running MotoGP support race.

The MotoGP prize-giving ceremony will be held on Sunday at the spectacular Ciutat de les Arts I les Ciencies at the massively impressive dockside development in downtown Valencia. The area is expected to be mobbed by legions of Spanish fans.

Long time Suzuki team manager Garry Taylor was presented with a bronze replica of a motorcycle at a farewell dinner for the retiring boss on Friday night. Rider Kenny Roberts remarked that the piece actually looked more like a Honda than a Suzuki.

A Dorna team beat all-comers to emerge football champions of Valencia on Friday night. They trounced a BBC team 11-1 and also put away Italian TV team RTI 3-0 to clinch the series.

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