So, Ago was such a massive presence at my first World Championship events, surely it could not get better than that. It did and it did not. My very first assignment as the new reporter at Motorcycle News in 1976 was to travel to Misano for the pre-season international race in which arch enemies and former team-mate Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read were riding on 500cc Suzukis. They lost my luggage at Milan Airport, but I managed to find the legendary Abners Hotel on the Riccione seafront. I was nervous, very nervous but met Scotsman Iain Mackay, the renowned mechanic who later became head of Honda Racing PR, in the lobby. He took pity on me and asked if I would like to join him and his team for dinner that night in the hotel restaurant. I had no idea what team he worked for and gratefully accepted. With no luggage, I arrived at the restaurant in a dirty old t-shirt only to be welcomed with the shake of the hand by the rider in Mac’s team, a certain Giacomo Agostini. I said and ate little that evening. Incredibly the next evening Phil Read invited me to the very same restaurant for dinner and even lent me a couple of t-shirts. I thought what all the fuss about this job, it’s a doddle, but then events started going downhill rapidly.

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