Valentino Rossi leads prestigious sports poll

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi is currently leading a poll by the Telegraph newspaper in its search for the most important sports star of 2008.

The Fiat Yamaha rider, who won nine races to reclaim the title he last won in 2005, has currently registered 39 per cent of the vote in the poll in which he is up against nine other of the year’s most successful sport stars.

Rossi is currently 14 per cent ahead of tennis world number one and Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal in second place.

Other stars on the list include youngest ever F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, triple Olympic cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy and sprinting sensation Usain Bolt.

Go to www.telegraph.co.uk/sport to register your vote.