Giancarlo Falappa

Giancarlo Falappa is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer. He was nicknamed the Lion of Jesi because of his fearsome riding style.

Motorcycle racing career

Falappa was born in Filottrano in the Province of Ancona and then moved to Jesi with his family. He began his racing career in motocross before making the switch to road racing in 1988. In he moved up to the Superbike [World Championship] riding for Bimota, winning 3 races and finishing the season in sixth place. Falappa moved to the Ducati team in. His best result was a 4th-place finish in the season and a 5th place in the season.
In, Falappa crashed while testing a factory Ducati 916 and suffered serious head injuries. After being in a lengthy coma, he eventually recovered, but never raced again. He won a total of 16 races in his Superbike World Championship career, including the last race he ever competed in.