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Valentino Rossi has admitted that he will have to be in peak physical condition this year if he is to regain the MotoGP title that he lost last season.

Following a winter spent participating in rally racing, the Yamaha rider made a smooth adjustment back to two wheels during recent testing in Sepang, Malaysia, in which he was the fastest rider and almost beat the record time he had set for this course.

Yet Rossi knows that, as he approaches his 28th birthday, he is more likely to struggle with certain fitness problems than when he first started out in racing and he told Motor Cycle News that maintaining his well-being will be essential in 2007.

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The Italian explained: "I started the training schedule the week before the Sepang test and maybe I'm 75 or 80 per cent [fit].

"Now I have to work on the arms and the shoulders for the braking. The 800cc is very difficult on the brakes because you brake deeper and need more effort from the rider."

Rossi added that he will also need to keep free from back problems and ensure that he has an adequate level of lung power in order to compete effectively, although he insisted that he will be in good shape come the start of the new season.

It is expected that the new 800cc bikes will suit the more supple riders amongst this year's competitors, with Rossi himself having backed his young rival Dani Pedrosa to make a big impact this season, partly because his physique suits the switch in racing format.

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