Italian Superbike racer Riccardo Russo has won three Stock 600 races in his career, and he's made six podiums. He's tasted success enough to know how gratifying a race win can be, and when he thought he had the 2012 Italian CIV championship locked up at the Tuscan circuit, he celebrated.
The problem was that there was still a lap to go. What follows is amusing and slightly heartbreaking.
Perhaps the best part of Russo's celebration was the fact that he somewhat stubbornly insisted on continued celebration, despite the fact that the entire field was still flooring it. It was as if his will alone could make his victory true, even as certain dread and embarrassment sank in.
The only disappointing part is that we don't get to watch him for the entirety of the rest of the race, what with the cameras focusing on the actual action and all that nonsense. We could have watched him awash in shame for at least another few minutes.
Keep your chin up, Riccardo, we're sure this decision won't haunt you forever.
