| yep Dave has got it right, - No 46 was his fathers racing number, - and if you look at everything Vale does before getting on a bike, and down pit lane on the way out he is a very very supersticious guy.
Carrying no46 was the cause of a big argument between him and Honda, - remember all the adverts they would do with Freddie Sencer, Eddie Lawson carying No1? If you looked closely at Vale's leathers he was carrying a No 1 on his shoulder, which is as good as the one finger salute to Honda as he would never do that up until now, - he carried No74 on his leathers as a lot of the guys did last year, - Sete still now.
An yes Gauloise can not be seen on SA TV, - the same will aplly when Moto GP gets to the UK.
More and more riders are keeping their chosen number rather than their last year championship position, - from my early days of watching racing it was only Barry Sheene, - then 34 for Scwantz, - CE2's number is also a lucky one I think, - of course Chilli favours No 7 now in WSBK. | 
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