Coriano, Marco Simoncelli’s small home town has decided to dedicate a statue to the late GP rider “to keep alive the memory of the great motorcycle champion who died tragically on Sunday October 23rd during the Malaysian GP, a memorial that can be a reference point for anyone who wishes to leave a flower or a thought” reads a note from City Hall. ”

Since the day of his death, the staircase that connects the church to Via Garibaldi has become the de facto symbol of his memory, a place where flowers and notes are left daily, and the city council has identified an area on the left side of the first flight of stairs as a place where to erect the monument, which will be a tangible sign of the affection shown to him by his fans and the citizens of Coriano “.

The Coriano sports hall has also been dedicated to Simoncelli.

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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.”

Continue reading: Family, friends and fans say final good-bye to Marco Simoncelli

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The Mayor of Coriano is afraid that his small town (population 10,000) will be invaded by thousands of fans who want to pay their last respects to Marco Simoncelli, and has asked that fans instead head to the Misano World Circuit to watch the funeral on the giant screens at the Italian circuit, which will be opened for this sad occasion.

The police are expecting between 50,000 to 60,000 people to show up and the church of Santa Maria, which holds only 500 people will be open only to family members, close friends, GP riders and team members, so the mayor has invited everyone to following the proceedings a Misano or from one of the three giant screens (in via Piane, in Piazza Mazzini and Piazza Don Minzon) that the town of Coriano is putting up, as the funeral will be televised live by Rai Sport and Italia 1.

Several details regarding the funeral have been released which will include Valentino Rossi and Mattia Pasini bringing into the church Marco’s motorcycles, his 250cc Aprilia that he won the 2008 World Championship title on, that he kept in his bedroom and his 2011 Honda RC212V.

It seems that the family wished that Italian rock star Vasco Rossi sing one of Simoncelli’s favourite songs (you heard him on the tribute video we posted last Sunday), but the local Curia refused and the local choir will do the singing instead.

Simoncelli’s casket is currently at the Teatro Comunale for public viewing and will remain there until 10:00 pm tonight and alongside the casket are both Marco’s motorcycles. Former F1 driver Andrea De Adamich, one of the guests during yesterday’s TV show Matrix (which had exclusive interviews with Paolo and Rosella Simoncelli and girlfriend Kate Fretti) asked that the Misano World circuit be named after Marco.

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