• Alessandro Lupino grits his teeth and narrowly misses the podium in MX1
• MX2 – Second place in race two for Ferruccio Zanchi in MX2
The third round of the Italian Pro Prestige Motocross Championship was held this weekend in Fermo, in Central Italy, on the Monterosato circuit, a classic hard-pack track with steep climbs and descents through the green hills, which in 2026 celebrare 50 years of activity. Wet from heavy rain in the days leading up to the national series, the track presented itself on Sunday in ideal conditions, with spring-like temperatures.
MX2
Fourth in his group at the end of the timed practice session, Simone Mancini started sixth the first race, finding good lines and an excellent feeling with the track, recovering to finish second. In race two, the Italian rider was involved in a crash at the start, restarting in 40th place. With a strong performance, Simone managed to push his Desmo250 MX through the pack, taking 10th place overall and the third step of the podium. Ferruccio Zanchi had a more difficult race than expected. After taking first place in his group in qualifying, he failed to get a good start in race one, finding himself close to fifteenth after the first turn. The Tuscan climbed to tenth place, only to make a mistake and crash after three laps. He restarted in 29th place, then worked his way up to eighteenth place. In the second race, “Ferro” managed a better start and was fifth on the first lap, climbing to second place on lap four, where he crossed the finish line at the end of the 16-lap race, taking sixth place overall for the day.
Simone Mancini: “It was a great weekend, with good pace in both heats; it’s a shame about the crash at the start of race two, but I rebounded, giving it everything I had. After that disastrous start, I never expected to finish on the podium, but instead we did it, and I’m happy for the whole team.”
Ferruccio Zanchi: “It was a mixed Sunday; I set a good time in qualifying, although I struggled to find the right feeling with the track. In the first heat, I started way behind, made a mistake, and crashed while trying to recover, restarting even further behind. In race two, however, I got a better start and managed to finish second after a few overtakes. Now we’re focusing on the next three consecutive world championship races.”
MX1
Alessandro Lupino performed beyond expectations. After his bad crash in Maggiora two weeks earlier, he arrives in Fermo in less than optimal physical condition. The Fiamme Oro rider managed to set the fourth-fastest time in qualifying and, at the start of the first heat, got off to a good start, pushing the Desmo450 MX bike toward the holeshot. However, contact with an opponent forced him to slow down prematurely, relegating him to sixth place. With a cautious race, Alessandro managed to climb to third place, battling hard for second, once again demonstrating his great attitude. The final heat of the day got off to a more difficult start, with the Beddini Ducati Team rider dropping out of the top 10 at the first corner. With a strong first lap, “Lupo” climbed to fifth place, a position he held at the finish line, taking fourth place overall for the day, tied for points with third place. After three races, Lupino is third in the championship, just 10 points behind second place.
Alessandro Lupino: “Given my physical condition, I was unsure whether to race or not, and even after practice I was quite skeptical about my chances of achieving a good result. However, the first race went very well; I gritted my teeth and, with a consistent pace, secured third place. Unfortunately, in race two I got a bad start; I recovered on the first lap, and after that I couldn’t get higher than fifth place. It’s a shame I missed the podium, but I’m happy I tried and achieved a good result that repays us for all the efforts we’ve made over these two weeks, recovering from the Maggiora crash.”
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