Valentino Rossi responds to retirement claim

Valentino Rossi has responded to a report that he is to quit MotoGP at the end of this year. A Tuesday morning 'exclusive' published by the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper has prompted the following reaction from the seven time MotoGP champion. Rossi wrote on his official Twitter page (@ValeYellow46): "The rumors about my retirement at the end of the year are not true!" The Italian superstar has taken just one podium since joining Ducati at the start of 2011, but has previously stated his intention to race on for a further two years after the conclusion of his present contract. Rossi, 33, is the second high-profile MotoGP rider to deny retirement reports in less than a week, with Honda's reigning champion Casey Stoner also dismissing claims that he will leave the sport at the end of 2012. All of the top MotoGP riders are out of contract at the end of this season. Despite the distraction, Rossi has spent most of Tuesday Tweeting pictures and messages in tribute to F1 legend Gilles Villeneuve, who was killed 30-years ago today. The Rossi retirement story remains on the Telegraph website.