Renzo Pasolini

Renzo Pasolini, nicknamed Paso, was an Italian road racer born in Rimini on 18 July 1938 who rode in the Grand Prix motorcycle world championships from 1964 to 1972. He came to the track late, after starting in motocross in 1958, and became a crowd favourite for a fearless style and for racing in an open-face helmet and black horn-rimmed glasses when most rivals wore full-face helmets. He won five Grand Prix races and had long rivalries with Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood, but never took a world title, losing the 1972 250cc championship to Jarno Saarinen by a single point. He and Saarinen died in a multi-rider crash at the start of the 250cc race of the 1973 Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 20 May 1973. Ducati named its Paso model after him.