As the MotoGP World Championship roadshow rolled into the Misano circuit on Thursday, for this weekend’s thirteenth Grand Prix of the 2008 season, there was some typical Italian summer weather welcoming the riders and their teams to town. The Gran Premio Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini was a highly popular addition to the calendar last season as racing returned to Misano, though the MotoGP fraternity are hoping that there is no repeat of the 2007 Friday practice day floods this time around. With temperatures reaching 33ºC today, that looks a distinct probability. At the official pre-event press conference a packed Misano media centre saw local rider Alex de Angelis line-up alongside World Champion Casey Stoner, representing Italian manufacturers Ducati, and an illustrious Italian trio of Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi, and Andrea Dovizioso. Barring any difficulties before Sunday’s race Capirossi will break the all-time record for highest number of Grand Prix starts as he prepares to partake in his 277th World Championship race. The veteran Suzuki rider revealed that he is almost 100% certain to stay with his current team next season, with just some paperwork to be finalised before an official announcement is made. Standings leader Rossi was in a typically buoyant mood, with this weekend’s proceedings taking place just a few kilometres from his hometown of Tavullia, joking, ‘I have had a lot more requests for tickets this time compared to last year at Misano as the situation in the championship is much better for me at present! I hope I can put on a great show for all my fans here.’ Thursday’s preliminary activities earlier in the day also saw De Angelis showing Colin Edwards, Randy de Puniet, Nico Terol and LCR Honda Team owner Lucio Cecchinello around the Cava dei Balestrieri in San Marino the group enjoying some traditional local arts, including flag waving and crossbow shooting.