Internazionali d’Italia Motocross Championship Round 2 Mantova

Ferruccio Zanchi was just one point away from repeating his excellent result from the previous week in Alghero and once again climbing onto the podium in the second round of the Italian Motocross International Championship, held this weekend on the Tazio Nuvolari track in Mantua; The terrain, made particularly heavy by the intense rains that fell across the area in the days leading up to the race, transformed the sandy circuit into a deadly testing ground for the competing motorcycles in all categories, with a significant number of retirements and a third of the starting riders forced to pull out (of the race) early.

After finishing second in his group at the end of the timed practice session, Zanchi was involved in a violent crash at the start of the first heat, crashing out and restarting last. He put in a full-time comeback that saw him cross the finish line in ninth place, with excellent race pace. Simone Mancini also put in a positive performance, finishing fourth in his group and ending up ninth on the first lap. He finished the first heat in 18th place after running seventh for a long time, but was slowed on the final lap by a technical issue. At the start of race two, the 19-year-old from Florence got off to a good start, taking fifth place. Sixth after two laps, the Tuscan managed to climb to third place with an excellent progression, battling for the podium of the day and the championship, which had him third until three laps from the end, when a crash relegated him to fourth place overall. It was an uphill battle for Mancini, who crashed on the first corner and rejoined last. The Italian didn’t lose heart and fought his way up to fourteenth place, demonstrating his character and excellent physical condition.

It was a more challenging day in MX1, with Andrea Bonacorsi posting the seventh-fastest time in the morning’s timed practice and getting off to a good start in the first heat but, being caught up on the first corner, he found himself outside the top 10. Having quickly climbed to ninth place, Andrea was forced to retire on lap eight due to a technical problem. It was decided not to field the #132 Desmo450 MX motorbike for the final heat of the day, while the cause was analyzed.

Ferruccio Zanchi: “In Mantova, on a very difficult but beautiful track, qualifying went well. I had a good feeling with the track and the bike. In race one, I got a great start but took a big hit with two or three other riders and I was left a bit scarred. I restarted last and finished ninth, but I was riding well despite the bike being a bit damaged. In race two, I got a good start. I made a few mistakes in the early laps, then found a good pace and with three laps to go, I was third but I crashed. I restarted and finished fourth; it’s a shame for the missed podium, which would have boosted our morale, but we’re working well and will get what we deserve in the next races.”

Simone Mancini: “It was a good race; in the first heat I was sixth and attacked for fifth until the last lap, then I had a problem with the bike. In the second moto, however, I started very gritty and crashed due to a contact at the start, hurting my knee and a finger, but I made a good comeback from last to 14th. I was riding well, relaxed, and I feel physically good. Now we’re waiting for the first round of European Championship to see where we stand.”

Andrea Bonacorsi: “In the morning we set some good lap times and I was seventh. It was a very nice track, with lots of ruts, and the feeling with the bike was really good. In race one, I got a good start. I got away well from the gate, then halfway down the straight they closed me down a bit, but I still recovered quite well in the first laps; then in the end, I had to stop due to a technical issue. I’m not getting down on myself; I know what me, the bike, and all the people who work on it are worth. We’ll bounce back soon, that’s for sure.”