“He who is born to be great will never be forgotten.” The words of Paulo Gonçalves’ son, Rubén Gonçalves, accurately conveyed the essence of the tribute that Esposende paid to its greatest name in motorcycling on Saturday.
Thousands of people, including hundreds of motorcycling enthusiasts from various places, attended the inauguration ceremony of the Paulo Gonçalves Park and the pilot’s memorial sculpture. A redeveloped urban space that includes a Dog Park, Urban Grove, and Collection of Notable Trees, located along the National Road 13, classified as the Northern Route, between the roundabouts of Senhora da Saúde and Solidal, in Esposende.
In an emotional ceremony where tears mixed with smiles and applause, the pilot from Gemeses – Esposende, who perished in Dakar 2020, was remembered and honored, with effusive praise for his sporting and personal qualities.
After the blessing of the new space by Esposende’s parish priest, Father Delfim Fernandes, one of the most emotional moments of the ceremony took place: the unveiling of the memorial sculpture, an 8-ton and 5.5-meter high monument, built with 27,500 mechanical pieces.
The project was created by photojournalist and artist Paulo Jorge Maria, who presented a short film showing the construction of the monument and described the painstaking work carried out over several months to bring this “pioneering work in Portugal, both in concept and volume” to life, a work designed to “give life to end-of-life parts”.
“Today is a day of celebration, a day in which we celebrate friendship and love, sharing and communion that Paulo has accustomed us to,” said Paulo Maria in his speech, noting that the “giant” size of the sculpture reflects the grandeur of the pilot, as a champion and as a man. In a speech marked by applause, Paulo Maria praised the character and tenacity of the pilot, saying that the sculpture reflects his passion for friendship and will be a meeting point. He ended by thanking the City Council for their welcome and support to the project, as well as all those who collaborated to make it a reality, and directed a special thanks to Paulo Gonçalves’ family. “Speedy will always be with us!” he concluded.
The pilot’s children, Érica and Rúben, expressed thanks on behalf of the family for this tribute. Quoting Fernando Pessoa “To be great, be whole…” they remembered their father as a “resilient and courageous man, a recognized and admired example,” also saying that “today he will be immortalized forever.”
In the same way, the President of the Portuguese Motorcycle Federation, Manuel José Marinheiro, highlighted the essence of Paulo Gonçalves, both within the motorcycle community and in personal relationships. Therefore, he considered the tribute carried out by the Organizing Committee to be fair and deserved, and thanked the Municipality of Esposende and all those who made it possible, emphasizing the work of the artist Paulo Maria. He expressed a “greater gratitude” to the family, saying “it wouldn’t be the same without you”, and concluded by thanking Paulo Gonçalves for the merit of bringing together so many people in the motorcycle community and solidarity, even after his death.
