Simoncelli’s Funeral – “Ciao Marco. Now You’re on the Highest Podium of All”

Simoncelli’s Funeral – “Ciao Marco. Now You’re on the Highest Podium of All”

Balloons and Vasco Rossi music for Sic’s farewell. At least 25,000 attend service. Valentino Rossi takes charge of Honda number 58

MILAN – Marco Simoncelli’s coffin was carried into church by friends at Coriano, in the province of Rimini. Accompanying the bearers was a cloud of red balloons with Simoncelli’s race number, 58, as they moved through the crowd to cover the short distance from the municipal theatre, where a mortuary chapel had been set up, to the church where the funeral was held. Friends and relatives greeted the entrance of the coffin with a warm, and very long, round of applause. Waiting in the church were members of Simoncelli’s family: his father Paolo, his mother Rossella, his sister Martina and his grandfather. They, too, were applauded, as was Simoncelli’s girlfriend, Kate.

INVITED GUESTS – Valentino Rossi was one of the first to arrive, at about 2 pm, and was followed by many of the big names in motor sport, including Mattia Pasini, Jorge Lorenzo and Randy De Puniet. MotoGP’s travelling medical officer, Dr Claudio Costa, was also present. Representing officialdom were the youth minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the junior minister for sport, Rocco Crimi. More than a thousand people, most of whom arrived on motorbikes, watched the funeral from the Santa Monica race track at Misano Adriatico.

THE SERVICE – “I must confess that in this tangle of emotions, I am having difficulty in finding words”, said the bishop of Rimini, Francesco Lambiasi, as he began his sermon. He went on: “The evening before the last race, you said you wanted to win the Grand Prix because everyone would be able to see you better on the podium. It saddens us not to be able to see you now but we find peace and much joy in the hope that you are watching us from the highest podium of all”. The bishop’s thoughts then went to what Sic had done in his life: “Jesus, who takes note of even a cool glass of water given with love, was there on Sunday to say to Marco: ‘Thank you for all the times you hugged me in the disabled brothers of the Piccola Famiglia community at Monte Tauro. Thank you, Marco, for all the times you gave us such fun by taking part in the minikart race at the saint’s day festival of your parish church. Thank you because every time you did these things for my little brothers, you did them for me’”.

SIC’S FATHER – The bishop’s address was followed by more heart-felt applause. One of the first to applaud was Simoncelli’s father, whom the bishop had mentioned in his sermon: “Let me endorse the words of Marco’s father Paolo: ‘They say that God plants the loveliest flowers in heaven so they won’t ever wither’”. Simoncelli’s father also exchanged embraces with Jorge Lorenzo, the rider who had had harsh words for Marco during the 2011 season with regard to allegedly dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

VASCO ROSSI AND THE BIKE – After the service, Valentino Rossi took Simoncelli’s Honda number 58 out of the church. It was one of two bikes that the bishop had allowed inside, the other being the Gilera on which Sic won the 2008 world championship. Rossi then exchanged embraces with Simoncelli’s mother, Rossella. Meanwhile, loudspeakers played Sic’s favourite song, “Siamo solo noi” [It’s Only Us] by Vasco Rossi. The coffin paused outside the church for a few minutes as Simoncelli’s father and sister Martina sat on the ground next to it. Sic’s girlfriend Kate said her farewell in front of the crowd: “He only had good qualities. He was a perfect person and perfect people cannot live with us ordinary mortals”.

REQUEST – The president of the Italian motorcycle federation, Paolo Sesti, has asked that the number 58 used by Marco Simoncelli should be withdrawn from MotoGP. Mr Sesti has sent an official letter to Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of the Spain-based Dorna company that organises MotoGP.