[Ducati] Giorgio Nepoti, RIP

[ray tubach]

Vicki, this is terrible. My condolences to you, as I know he was a good 
friend to you, and to all his family. How a man can live most of his life at 
the very teeth of ruin and come out unscathed, and then, when he is in one 
of the most benign settings and completely unawares when he is taken, is one 
of the most cruel ironies.

I have a picture from Motogiro 2005 and I wonder if you could help me ID it. 
I believe this is Giorgio speaking with Jim while Craig Kenfield looks on. 
Am I right? I was sitting next to him and though my Italian can help me find 
my way around and get me fed , I was not able to keep up with him most of 
this conversation. I don't remember who was behind him in this pic. maybe 
someone else will...

http://ra2bach.smugmug.com/photos/27156706-M.jpg

Ra2bach

>The last time I saw Giorgio Nepoti was at a party in Rimini to celebrate  
>the
>end of the Motogiro d'Italia 2006.  Giorgio was at a table with Rino
>Caracchi, the other half of NCR, the most famous tuning duo in Ducati's 
>history
>watching an Italian comedian who had at least the Italian half of the room 
>in
>stitches.  We were all still buzzing from 5 great days of riding, Giorgio  
>on the
>exquisite Ducati single he ride every year. The night before Giorgio had
>been the center of attention, telling stories about his pre-NCR days when 
>he
>worked for Provimi, the Mondial factory GP team all brought on by a 
>Beautiful
>Mondial single we had rolled over to lock to the 175 Rino had brought for 
>me to
>compete on. It was a thing to watch, the living history of Ducati, both
>Giorgio  and the men he was entertaining. Ducati royalty all. It want on 
>for hours,
>the  group of them all out in the parking lot but Giorgio was at it's 
>center,
>clearly  King of this group. As long as Giorgio was talking, they all would
>stay and  listen. That's the kind of man this was. I am always struck, at
>moments like  these how lucky I am to witness this, that one by one these 
>people
>and this  history will be lost.
>
>So I am very sad to tell you that this giant piece of Ducati's  history
>passed away yesterday.
>
>Giorgio Nepoti of NCR and his wife were killed in a car crash on the way to
>a vacation. Rino Caracchi's wife is organizing some sort of motorcycle
>gathering  in his honor in Borno Panagale, probably on Wednesday.  The 
>funeral will
>be  on Thursday.
>
>Vicki

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