The Cairns Post reports that 'Holloways Beach was abuzz this week after numerous sightings of a man who appeared to be🍃 the international motorbike racing chaဣmpion.

'The man even si⭕gned autographs and took a female cafe worker forꦏ a ride on his black motorcycle.

'He and three taller m🍌en who appeared to be his "minders" made a number of visits to [a] cafe during the week with their final visit on Tuesday morning.

'He signed autographs as "the Doctor", posed for photos and took 23-year-old🌄 cafe worker Melissa Taifalos for a spin on his bike.'

When asked by sꦬtaff at the caf? if he was indeed the❀ MotoGP star, the lookalike is said to have replied "Yeah, the Doctor".

The newspaper soon established that it wasn't the Italian superstar, although 'even after The Cairns Post told cafe stafℱf pictures they hꦏad taken of the man did not look like Rossi, several were still convinced'.

Th🥀e story of the fake Rossi was subsequently published and the lookalike in question, Cairns waiter Stefano Zanzottera, came clean shortly after.

"The guests and staff [where I work] c✅all me Valentino all the time, as a joke," he said. "They [the staff at the cafe] said 'Valentino?', I said 'Yeah, the Doctor' [sarcastically]."

"In the past two weeks ♋I have probably been [to the cafe] f𝓀our times," he said. "I don't know why on the last time they thought I was Valentino."

The waiter, who - like Rossi - rides a Yꦿam💟aha motorcycle, said he signed the autograph as a joke but claimed that he isn't even a Valentino fan.

"I don't even watch MotoGP," he said. 🦩"Sure, I'd like to be him [Ro𓄧ssi] and have lots of money, but no."

"I am so sorry. I feel so bad," he claimed. "From now if anyone says 'Valenti𝔍no Rossi?🍌' I say 'No, I am not him!"

The real ꩲVa♏lentino Rossi will be back on track at next weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.