Damn man-crushes.

Mine just got worse this weekend.

This is five-time (and quite possibly future) world champ Valentino Rossi.  Every year he comes out with a one-off helmet for his home grand prix at Mugello, Italy.

How the hell can you not love a guy who goes out in public wearing a helmet like this?

The face on the helmet is his.  According to Rossi, that’s what he looks like inside the helmet, screaming down the hill on the long straight at 205mph.  When he’s tucked in behind the screen on the straight, the damn face does actually peek through the windscreen, and it makes me laugh out loud.  Don’t take my word for it, take 55 seconds out of your life and watch this video.

Ah, me.  (And yes, a guy making tens of millions of dollars does stand up on the footpegs and de-wedgie-fy himself.  In front of 90,000 screaming fans.  And on live TV all over Europe.  Every week.)

Sorry, Nicky, you know I love you, but the more I think about it the more likely it is that I’ll be busting out my Rossi gear at Indianapolis this year.