Marco Bezzecchi, the factory Aprilia rider, explained the reason for carrying a wooden leg on his bike during the cooldown lap after winning the San Marino Grand Prix sprint race at Misano. The unusual celebration immediately caught the attention of fans and fellow riders, as it was uncommon to see anything other than national flags or team banners being waved in victory laps. Bezzecchi revealed that the wooden leg was inspired by a famous Italian film and held personal significance from his childhood.
Connection to a Beloved Italian Film and Artist
After the race, Bezzecchi shared with TNT Sports the meaning behind the wooden leg prop. It comes from “Tre uomini e una gamba” (Three Men and a Leg), an Italian comedy where the characters carry a wooden leg across Italy to reach a wedding. Bezzecchi described the film as a cherished part of his youth and explained his tribute through the celebration.
This is a wooden leg. Something that is present in an Italian film has the name ‘Tre uomini e una gamba’, which means three men and one leg,
he said.
He further added how the film brings humor and nostalgia:
“It’s an Italian film and they bring this leg all over Italy to try to go to a wedding. It’s super funny and it’s part of my childhood.”
The rider also revealed that the artist who designed the wooden leg, known as Garbett, contributed to the design of his helmet for the Misano race weekend, making the tribute more personal and visible.
And the artist of the leg is Garbett. So I decided to make a good helmet, and the artist is Garbett.
—Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Race Highlights: From Pole Position to Victory
Bezzecchi started the sprint race on pole position and led the opening laps, showing strong control. However, he made a couple of errors in the initial stages, which allowed the Ducati factory rider Marc Marquez to overtake him on lap six. Marquez then held the lead until a critical mistake caused him to crash out of the race, handing the advantage back to Bezzecchi.
Following Marquez’s retirement, Bezzecchi skillfully defended his lead against Alex Marquez on the Gresini Ducati, maintaining composure in the closing stages to secure his second career sprint victory. This win also marked Aprilia’s first sprint race success since their previous triumph at Barcelona.
Reflecting on the pivotal moments, Bezzecchi said,
I didn’t really expect [Marquez to pass me at Turn 6] but I knew he would be close to it because I made a couple of mistakes, once in turn 13 when I lost the front, and then I went a bit wide in Turn 4,
He described his mindset after being overtaken:
I lost concentration a bit and I prepared Turn 6 to exit fast in the back straight because I thought Marc wanted to pass me on the braking, but then he passed me there [at Turn 6].
Despite the surprise move, Bezzecchi kept his calm and said,
I wasn’t really expecting that but then when he passed me I kept myself calm and I was there. I didn’t know how [the race] could go, but it went like this.
Focus Remains on Upcoming Races
Bezzecchi expressed gratitude for the victory while emphasizing the importance of continued focus for the rest of the weekend. He believes the team’s hard work throughout the race weekend contributed to the positive result and is optimistic about their prospects moving forward.
He stated,
I am just happy for the win. It means that we worked in a good this weekend until now, and that we can also do a good job tomorrow. So happy for the day and the focus is on Sunday.
Significance of Bezzecchi’s Sprint Race Win at Misano
This victory at Misano represents a major milestone for both Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia Racing. Securing a sprint race win highlights Bezzecchi’s rising talent and maturity as a rider, while also boosting Aprilia’s confidence in their competitiveness within the MotoGP field. The subtle cultural nod through the wooden leg celebration added a unique and thoughtful personal touch that resonated with fans familiar with Italian cinema.
Looking ahead, this win sets a positive tone for the remainder of the San Marino Grand Prix weekend, with Bezzecchi and Aprilia aiming to carry this momentum into the main race. The win also reinforces Bezzecchi’s position as an emerging contender in the championship standings, especially important as rivals like Marc Marquez continue to push hard.
