Valentino gathers momentum

World champion Valentino Rossi is bidding for his sixth consecutive Australian MotoGP victory on Sunday as he seeks to clinch another coveted championship. The flamboyant Italian hasnt been beaten around the undulating Phillip Island circuit since 2001. Rossi roared back into title contention with a battling win over Loris Capirossi in Sundays Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. The victory pushed the five-time premier class world champion within 26 pointsjust over a podium win, of championship leader Nicky Hayden. It was the Yamaha racers 58th career MotoGP win among a total of 84 GP victories in 11 years of racing in all three classes. The 27-year-old appears to be gathering momentum in his quest for a sixth premier class title after slipping 51 points behind Hayden when he failed to finish the USA Grand Prix on July 23.