First Round Italian Supermoto Championship in Ortona (CH).

On Sunday, July 12, after a long forced break, the Italian Supermoto Championship finally kicked off from the beautiful setting of the International Circuit of Abruzzo in Ortona (CH).

In the afternoon, the races were live-streamed on Offroad Pro Racing's YouTube and Facebook channels, generating significant public interest.

In the S1, the premier class, the three standard-bearers Borella #20, Filippetti #97, and Bartolini #5 took to the track motivated and focused.

In the official morning practice, a slide in the off-road section prevented Borella from performing at his best, forcing him to settle for seventh place, preceded by his teammate Filippetti; Bartolini secured ninth position on the starting grid.

In the first race, Borella started strong, immediately overtaking some of his opponents and placing himself in fifth position. He then finished in sixth position. Seventh place for Filippetti and eighth for Bartolini.

In race two, Borella again started well, immediately gaining sixth place, which he maintained until the end. Eighth place for Filippetti and twelfth for Bartolini, who crashed at the entrance to the dirt section, compromising his performance.

Edgardo Borella commented on the first outing of the season: "The slide in the dirt during timed practice made me lose a bit of focus, and I couldn't do better than seventh. In race 1, I got a good jump on my opponents, moving into fifth position, but due to a physical drop, I finished sixth.

In race 2, I started well and maintained sixth position until the end.

I thank my entire team and sponsors, and we will prepare even more for the next round on August 23 in Latina."

Filippetti added: "The first stage of the International Italian Championship concluded with a seventh position in the international standings and a fourth in the Italian standings. The gap to the leaders decreases every year, but it's not enough. We're getting back to work with our heads down for the next race."

In the S4 category, a fierce Iacopo Arduini #05 won both heats with overtakes worthy of MotoGP against his category rival Kevin Vandi. Iacopo started fifth on the grid after the morning's timed practice. In race one, after Malone's fall from first position, he found himself in the lead and managed to keep Vandi behind him.

In race two, he immediately moved into second position and then took the lead with a series of overtakes, again against his rival Vandi. An excellent start to the championship.

Arduini commented on the race: "It was a tough weekend; the level of my opponents is very high. In timed practice, I didn't express my full potential, but I recovered in the race with a good start that allowed me to stay in front and dictate my pace, fending off Vandi's attacks. I thank my entire team for the bike they provided, and I also thank Tiziano Monti for the suspension, all the sponsors including Seven Solution, Officina Cosmi, Chalet del Mar, and X-lite."

In S3, the young Giacomo Bolognesi #31 started well with a second position in timed practice. Giacomo was not very fortunate during the two heats: in race one, after a good start and while leading, he crashed in the off-road section, which led him to finish in fourth position.

In race two, while fighting for first position, another crash in the off-road section led him to finish fifth.

In S5, team veteran Marzio Ravaioli #64 had to settle for fifth place on the day due to technical problems. After placing fourth in timed practice, his bike was replaced, and, as per regulations, he started from the last position on the grid. He finished the first heat in fifth position and the second in fourth.

Team manager Nicola Ferranti commented on this first Sunday of racing: "I thank our riders and team members for the work done so far, our sponsors, and all the technicians who support us. It's the first race of the Championship, and the road is still long.

We must remain focused on our objectives and continue to work at our best, maintaining the positivity that characterizes us."

Next stage on August 23rd at the 'Il Sagittario' Circuit in Latina.

Ph. Marco Rimondi