Hoodies and jeans, and dozens of red ballons with his racing #58 and his name, were released in the air as an immense and silent crowd gathered to say good–bye to Marco Simoncelli at his home town of Coriano today.
A very composed and dignified Simoncelli family, Paolo, Rosella, daughter Martina, who bares an amazing resemblance to her older brother, and long time girlfriend Kate Fretti, comforted others around them.
Also waiting to say good–bye was the Gresini team in its entirety, as was Yamaha’s and Ducati’s.
Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi and wife Ingrid, Andrea Dovizioso, Mattia Pasini, Simone Corsi, Jorge Lorenzo, Raffaele De Rosa, Andrea Iannone, Manuel Poggiali, Sete Gibernau, Lucio Cecchinello, Filippo Preziosi, Claudio Domenicali, Giacomo Agostini, Livio Suppo, Shuhei Nakamoto, Franco Uncini, Vittoriano Guareschi, Gianfranco Guareschi, Mauro Sanchini, team mate Hiroshi Aoyama, Michele Pirro, Alex de Angelis, Tony Cairoli, Marco Melandri, Randy de Puniet, Giacomo Agostini, FIM president Vito Ippolito, IMF President Paolo Sesti, Dorna’s CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dr.
Claudio Costa, Alberto Tomba, the Italian Minister of Sport Giorgia Meloni, local authorities and Simoncelli’s two motorcycles, his 2008 World Champion Aprilia 250cc and his Honda RC212V, which were placed on either side of the casket that was covered with white flowers and his AGV helmet.
The religious ceremony was officiated by the bishop of Rimini Francesco Lambiasi, who added to his homily “Marco, teach the angels to wheelie.
” At the end of the ceremony, Valentino Rossi and Mauro Sanchini wheeled Simoncelli’s Honda outside, while Mattia Pasini and Manuel Poggiali wheeled out the Aprilia, as the casket bearing Simoncelli’s remains was placed on a carpet outside the church as Marco’s favourite song, Siamo Solo Noi by Vasco Rossi was played on the loud speakers.
Paolo Simoncelli sat on the ground hugging his daughter admist Gresini team members on one side, while on the other side sat young minimoto riders in racing leathers.
Italia 1 pitlane commentator Paolo Beltramo, who was one Simoncelli’s friends and helped him write his book Dibò che bello! spoke a few words, after which a tearful Dr.
Claudio Costa also paid his tribute and then Kate took the microphone for last, and said, “He was perfect, and people who are too perfect, cannot live in a world of mortals,” to round of applause.
Simoncelli was taken to the hearse on the notes of Siamo Solo Noi, where he was escorted by family and friends to Cesena, where he will be cremated in the following days.
Team Gresini released the following:DIOBÒ QUANTA GENTE!‘Super Sic’ will have looked down on his funeral today and no doubt said: “Diobò quanta gente!” (”Good lord, that’s a lot of people!”).
“Did so many people really want to wish me well?” he would have added.
The demonstration of affection towards ‘Super Sic’, tragically killed last Sunday at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, was from another planet.
Yesterday around ten thousand people came to say goodbye as he laid at rest in the Municipal Theatre in Coriano whilst today the number of people present in the small town and at the Misano circuit, where the events were shown on a big screen, was simply incalculable.
The world of motorcycling flocked to be by his side as he was finally laid to rest.
The funeral service was led by the Bishop of Rimini, Francesco Lambiasi, at the church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Coriano, where the body of “Super Sic” was carried by his closest friends in the presence of his family, the friends he spent so many happy times with, the team and other dignitaries from the world of motorcycling, World Champions from different disciplines of racing and sport, other personalities and his two most famous motorcycles: the Gilera that he rode to the 250cc World Championship and the Honda he raced this season.
Outside the church, which could only hold 450 people, thousands and thousands more watched on two more big screens, with another in the Coriano town square.
The most emotional moment came when the Vasco Rossi song “Siamo solo noi” was played as Marco’s coffin was carried out of the the church of Our Lady of the Assumption to make its final journey.
Goodbye “Super Sic”, you will always be in our hearts.
