By Dean Adams
Ducati rider Davide Giugliano’s hero is Kevin Schwantz. He wears the number 34 on his bike and, at times, rides a little like the lanky cowboy who won the 1993 500cc Grand Prix title.
Davide Giugliano has Kevin Schwantz tribute t-shirts here at Laguna Seca, and was able to spend some time with the living legend Schwantz here at the home of the famed Corkscrew.
Unfortunately, typically, racing is not Tiger Beat magazine. However, any collaboration with Schwantz is confidence-inspiring, an almost Excalibur situation for a rider. It’s said there was a conversation between Schwantz’s mobile phone and Valentino Rossi’s mobile phone before the Assen TT where Rossi listened while a Texan asked him questions something like, “In qualifying, exactly, what is your fu**ing problem? Listen, you got this. There is no problem.”
Rossi, like Davide Giugliano, grew up with Kevin Schwantz posters on his bedroom wall.
Behind closed doors, many riders are racked with low self esteem. So, when your hero tells you that you can pull the sword from the stone, no question, for a rider, it can be a powerful boost to his confidence.
Schwantz will be in the Ducati garage with Giugliano this weekend.
