Motorcycling: Simoncelli’s shadow hangs over race

VALENCIA: The memory of Marco Simoncelli will hang heavy on the season-ending Valencia MotoGP tomorrow. The young Honda rider’s death in a horror crash at the Malaysian GP has cast a pall of gloom on the sport. Under normal circumstances, former 250cc world champion Loris Capirossi could have hoped to have been the focus of attention as the veteran will retire after the race following 22 years of World Championship action. “It will be difficult to be in the paddock without Marco,” said Capirossi. “No one will feel like going on the track, but we have to do it for him and for all fans of motorcycle racing.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th,  2011.