World braced for Rossi in red

Anticipation is building ahead of Valentino Rossi’s first official public appearance for Ducati at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in Italy.

The nine-times world champion will take part in Ducati’s traditional team launch with a press conference tomorrow morning (Tuesday) ahead of the official unveiling of the factory GP11 Rossi will campaign next season.

Rossi will be able to give his first comments on life at Ducati after his pre-Christmas track debut at Valencia saw him barred from speaking about his opening ride.

The Italian, who quit Yamaha at the end of an injury-blighted 2010 campaign, finished in a lowly 15th position on his debut in Valencia.

The 31-year-old will also be able to update the world on the recovery of his right shoulder.

The seven-times MotoGP world champion rode almost the entire season with severe ligament and tendon damage in his right shoulder following an innocuous motocross training accident after he’d won the opening round in Qatar.

He underwent surgery in mid-November and is expected to be close to 100 per cent fitness when he returns to the track in Sepang on February 1.

Rossi’s team-mate Nicky Hayden will also take part in his own press conference tomorrow morning.