Ciao Marco

——Gloria:

I’m the coordinator of this humble motorcycle blog, and today I wanted to start this October 24, 2011 by talking about Marco Simoncelli, now that I’ve woken up and seen it’s not a nightmare, it’s time to turn back…

Yesterday was a horrible day, a black day, a sad day, a f***ing day, we lost the 58 after a tragic accident at the Sepang circuit, leaving friends, family and the motorcycle racing world plunged into enormous grief, because a young man of just 24 years has unfortunately gone.

I’m sure many of you have read other comments from professionals, fans and motorcycle lovers, what you’re about to see below is neither a review of the 58’s career, nor a revisiting of the bad moments, it’s simply my way of getting out everything I’ve carried inside since yesterday, you’ll be my safety valve because otherwise I’ll end up exploding, I hope you’ll let me.

Simoncelli was a scrappy, aggressive rider, eager, always seeking more and more, self-improvement, and also controversial. He was criticized by many people, including the one who writes these lines; but many times we only held on to that, we didn’t see beyond it, we didn’t see that smile that lit up the paddock and that he showed even in the worst moments, that flowing hair that was one of his trademarks, that affection he showed his fans at every track, that 58, in short.

No one can doubt that he was a great rider, that we’ve lost one of the strong men of the championship, who said goodbye without warning, leaving the world championship family and all the fans devastated, because a smile, a life, a hope, a dream, a passion, an enthusiasm, an everything has been extinguished, because he’s gone, ladies and gentlemen, SuperSic has died, the hairy one (affectionately), SuperPippo, 58, Sic, in short Marco Simoncelli. Now he will no longer be on track, we won’t see him on the grid, we won’t see him putting on his helmet in his special way, we won’t see him in a race with his hair sticking out of the helmet, we won’t see him with his headband on his nose, we won’t see him with his headband in his hair, we won’t see him showing the sign of his newly launched website, we won’t see him…

Because he’s gone… that’s all, he’s gone.

For my part, and that of my team, sending our regards to the whole family, friends, Gresini team, Honda and the motorcycling family in general, encouragement, strength and our condolences for the loss of this young rider, who had a great future ahead of him.

Ciao Marco.
Gloria

—- David: Heaven should have waited for you longer, Marco.

Today is a sad, hard, difficult day. For all of us who love the sport of motorcycles, a piece of us has gone. A part of ourselves, of those of us who enjoy the spectacle of two wheels. Today Marco Simoncelli has left us.

We had only completed two laps of the race. Marco was fighting with Bautista for fourth position, he lost control and… well, you all know the rest. Confused news from the paddock, Twitter smoking, the TV says nothing. And when they cancel the race, it’s bad.

I can’t get out of my head the image of his father leaving the clinic and shaking his head when Pippo’s girlfriend approaches him. The desolation of Fausto Gresini, of the mechanics, of everyone.

Marco didn’t leave anyone indifferent, I won’t be the one who now puts on medals and says I defended him and that he was my idol. I’ve criticized him like everyone else. When he fought with Barberá and Bautista in 250cc, with that aggression that won him the title in 2009, and that later deprived him of repeating the following year. Not even in the incident with Dani at Le Mans this year. But he didn’t deserve this. No one deserves this.

He didn’t want to let go of the bike. The one that had given him glory, that was making him fight for the dream of being the world number 1. The one that gave him his first MotoGP podium at Brno, and the second at Phillip Island. The one that has taken his life.

I don’t know if the absurd rule of 6 engines to cut costs is to blame for all this. Since they only have 6 engines per season, riders don’t let go of the bike. They destroy their hands trying to keep the bike from stalling. Something has to change, I think.

From here, receive my most sincere tribute, my embrace to his parents, to his sister, to his girlfriend. To Team Gresini, which goes through such a hard ordeal again. To his friend Vale, who must be devastated, “he was like my little brother,” he said. From here, and with tears in my eyes, I hope you keep smiling from heaven.

Rest in peace, Marco.

Marco Simoncelli January 20, 1987 – October 23, 2011

—- Alejandro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmAnXxrVC94

Yesterday Marco, you left, never to return, and that’s the hardest part. To be honest, I knew from the very beginning, just when I saw you lose your helmet and wanted to shout, but my voice didn’t come out. I knew that an accident at that speed, in full acceleration by both Vale and Colin, wasn’t going to let you come out alive.

Although the circuit sources assured that at first you were conscious, my mind only had another who, like you, fell and lost his life in a passion, I’m sure you know who I’m talking about, yes, Tomizawa.

It has once again been a very hard moment, for my colleagues, for the fans, and for me. Obviously those who will suffer most are those around you, who knew you, who loved you, but we who live your races trying to understand every detail, reading and rewriting your words, also came to know things about you. For example, I know you wanted to get your first victory in MotoGP, between this race and Valencia, perhaps this is what made you hold on to your bike to get up, what you didn’t know is that it was taking you to the end.

You had enormous potential and were the same age as me, 24 years old, you had your whole career ahead of you to become what you once were again, and I’m sure that if you’d had time you would have become it again, World Champion.

It can’t be said that you left through the back door, you were always at the front, both on track and off it, that led you to make as many friends as enemies, but that no longer matters, now you only have people who respect you and, well, people who, as always, are out of tune.

Wherever you are, we will never forget you, you set a style, you left a character. I’ll never forget your 58, nor that hair.

Until forever, champion.

Photo | MotoGP Official website