It was today (8th November 2006) that Sete Gibernau announced to the world that he was hanging up his boots. After a sixteen year race career of mixed success he had seemingly succumbed to a mixture of age and injuries, although he reasoning was much more straight forward:

 

"I am going out at the top, accomplishing a small dream of mine - to be happy. I dreamt of being World Champion and I have enjoyed myself winning races, leading the championship, coming second twice. I have come further than I ever could have imagined."

 

He had apparently received offers from Kawasaki, Sito Pons and the new Ilmor team, but reaffirmed his decision by stating, "I would have been fooling myself. I have never ridden for money and I wasn't going to start doing that now."

 

Sete grew up surrounded by bikes, which was no surprise since his grandfather was the founder of Bultaco motorcycles, Don Paco Bulto, and was heavily involved with racing. Even so, Sete was 18 years old before he began racing - a relatively late start, especially given his surroundings. He was quickly spotted and signed up to the 250cc European Championship, but was left without a ride when the team lost its sponsor.

 

All was not lost, as Sete was spotted by a certain Kenny Roberts who was putting together a 250 team for the Spanish Open Championship and was looking for a rider to partner his son, Kenny Roberts Junior. So, 1993 saw Sete riding a Yamaha for the former 500cc World Champion.

 

Sete had begun to win races, finishing 3rd in the championship in two out of three years, before moving to Wayne Rainey's 250 team. He was quickly promoted to the full 500cc team the following year, in 1997. The next year saw him move to Honda, where he achieved his first podium in the class on an underpowered bike.

 

After Mick Doohan retired at the end of 1999, Sete was able to pick up one of the factory rides but moved to Suzuki at the end of the year. It was 2001 before Sete achieved his maiden top class win, at his home round in Valencia. He went on to finish ninth in the championship in the last ever two stroke series before changes in rules lead to the introduction of the 990cc four stroke machines.

 

In 2003 he was back on a Honda (in the Movistar team) in what was to become the most successful stage of his career, where he would eventually finish second to Rossi in the championship, winning four races in the process.

 

2004 saw Sete win two of the first three GPs, but accidents meant that he dropped behind Rossi (who went on the take the title again, despite the fact that Valentino had moved from Honda to Yamaha). Disappointment aside, he had taken eight wins, seventeen podiums and six pole positions in the two years on a Honda.

 

Gibernau was seen as Rossi's main threat prior to the start of the 2005 season, but it was a threat that never really materialised. Dogged by more crashes and technical problems, he eventually finished a distant seventh - summed up perfectly by his last lap battle with Rossi at Jerez. The Italian took the chequered flag whilst Sete took a trip into the gravel (recovering to retain second place). At the end of the year he was deemed surplus to requirements by a Honda that was desperate to recapture the title from Yamaha.

 

For 2006 he moved to Ducati to replace the departing Carlos Checa. Despite some fast pre-season test times and reasonable results early in the season, Sete's luck followed him. At the first corner at Catalunya he collided with team mate Capirossi which sent them both (together with two other riders) into the gravel. Sete had broken his collarbone again and, to add insult to injury, his ambulance even managed to crash into a coach en route to the hospital! He missed a total of three rounds due to treatment (and then re-treatment) as a metal plate from an old injury was replaced with a new titanium one.

 

As the year drew on and he recovered from injury, he was struck again. At the penultimate round of the year in Portugal he was running in fifth place before Casey Stoner dropped his Honda directly in front of the Spaniard. With no-where to go, Sete hit the stricken bike and ended up in the gravel. Again, he had damaged his troublesome collarbone and broken a finger too. Somewhat ironically, Ducati would go on to announce the signing of Stoner as Gibernau's replacement after Sete disappointing final position of thirteenth.

 

Then, on the 8th November 2006, Sete Gibernau announced his retirement from motorcycle racing.

Personal Stats
Born: 15 December 1972 in Barcelona, Spain
Marital Status: Single
Height: 1.77 m / 5'10"
Weight: 70 kg / 154 lbs

MotoGP Stats
Race Starts: 152
Race Wins: 9
Podiums: 30
Pole Positions: 13
Best Championship Finish: 2nd (2003, 2004)

Career Stats
2006: 13th - MotoGP World Championship (Ducati)
2005: 7th - MotoGP World Championship (Honda)
2004: 2nd - MotoGP World Championship (Honda)
2003: 2nd - MotoGP World Championship (Honda)
2002: 16th - MotoGP World Championship (Suzuki)
2001: 9th - 500 World Championship (Suzuki)
2000: 15th - 500 World Championship (Honda)
1999: 5th - 500 World Championship (Honda)
1998: 11th - 500 World Championship (Honda)
1997: 13th - 500 World Championship (Yamaha)
1996: 22nd - 250 World Championship (Honda/Yamaha)
1995: 3rd - 250 Spanish Open Championship (Yamaha)
1994: 5th - 250 Spanish Open Championship (Yamaha)
1993: 3rd - 250 Spanish Open Championship (Yamaha)
1992: European Championship Rider (Honda)
1991: 1st - 125 Spanish Junior Championship (Gilera)
1990: 3rd - Gilera cup, race debut