Sante Geminiani

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Sante Geminiani (born September 4, 1919 - † August 15, 1951 in Clady , Northern Ireland ) was an Italian motorcycle racer .

Career

Sante Geminiani, who comes from Lugo in Emilia-Romagna , started in the 1951 season as a works rider for Moto Guzzi in the motorcycle world championship . In the 500 cc race for the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps , he finished third behind Geoff Duke and Alfredo Milani .

Deadly accident

Sante Geminiani had a fatal accident on August 15, 1951 during training for the Ulster Grand Prix in Northern Ireland . He and his Moto Guzzi teammates Gianni Leoni and Enrico Lorenzetti lapped the approximately 16.5 mile long Clady Circuit close together in training in the quarter liter class . After a few laps, Geminiani and Lorenzetti drove into the pits unnoticed by Leoni to swap their machines. After about four kilometers alone, Leoni noticed the absence of his teammates and the Italian decided, probably worried that an accident might have happened, to turn around and drove the route in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, Geminiani and Lorenzetti had left the pits and were on the track at full speed. The two were not ready for the oncoming driver, so a collision was inevitable.

Sante Geminiani and Gianni Leoni probably both tried to avoid them, but drove in the same direction and hit their heads at a speed of about 100  km / h . Geminiani was thrown about 40 meters through the air and was dead on the spot. Leoni got up a moment after the accident, but then collapsed unconscious and died the same day in a hospital in Belfast . Enrico Lorenzetti, who was driving about 100 meters behind Geminiani, was still able to brake and only drove to the scene of the accident at low speed. He got away with minor injuries.

Despite this tragic accident, the Moto Guzzi team did not withdraw from the Grand Prix. The following day, works driver Bruno Ruffo won the 250 cc race for the Ulster Grand Prix.

Statistics in the motorcycle world championship

season class motorcycle run Victories Podiums Points Result
1951 500 cc Moto Guzzi 1 - 1 4th 13.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Geminiani, Sante
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian motorcycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH September 4, 1919
DATE OF DEATH August 15, 1951
Place of death Clady