Ducati Debuts New Desmo250 MX
In Italian Championship
L
ast week, Ducati announced
an all-new 250 motocrosser,
the Desmo250 MX. The 250
made its debut over the March
8-9 weekend at the Ottobiano
motocross track in Ottobiano PV,
Italy, for round one of the Italian
Prestige Motocross Champi
-
onship. Alessandro Lupino,
the brand's lead test rider and
nine-time Italian champ, is, once
again, taking the helm for the
motocross 250 project in the
same manner as the Desmo450
MX, which debuted in the Italian
Championship last year.
Lupino is piloting the new 250
under the Beddini Racing team
tent as they manage the new
Factory Ducati effort. This team
won the Italian MX2 title in 2024
and plans to race all six rounds
of the Italian Motocross Prestige
MX2 Championship.
Saturday's qualifying saw
Lupino earn the second fastest
time aboard the new Ducati.
The 34-year-old Italian rider has
never raced the MX2 class in his
home country and last rode a
250cc four-stroke more than 10
years prior.
Race one on Sunday came
with Lupino starting outside the
top five but moving to fourth
after lap one. He quickly moved
to third and battled with Simone
Mancini for the second-place po
-
sition. The two riders connected
and both hit the ground, which
ultimately caused damage to the
Ducati. Lupino remounted and
salvaged 10th.
Race two looked much bet
-
ter for the Italian native as he
rounded turn one in fifth place.
In the opening laps, he made his
way into podium territory and
crossed the line second behind
Valerio Lata. Lata swept the day
with 1-1 finishes ahead of Czech
rider Julius Mikula's 2-3 results.
Lupino claimed third overall and
landed the new Ducati on the
podium in its debut race.
"I'm happy once again," Lupino
said. "We did a great job, and I
have to congratulate the team
at Ducati, who performed a
miracle. The Desmo250 MX
has only been running for three
weeks, and today, we came for
a test day. However, if I hadn't
been taken out, we could have
secured two second-place fin
-
ishes. As a rider, I'm pleasantly
surprised to have made it onto
the podium and to already have
such a competitive bike on our
first outing."
Lupino sits third in the stand
-
ings as the Italian Prestige
Championship heads to the
Mantova circuit on March 29
and 30 for round two.
CN
MX2 (Top 5)
1. Valerio Lata (Hon) 1-1
2. Julius Mikula (TM) 2-3
3. Alessandro Lupino (Duc) 10-2
4. Mirko Valsecchi (GG) 3-11
5. Samuele Bernardini (Hon) 6-5
WIND
IN THE
P56
Alessandro
Lupino debuted
the new Ducati
Desmo250 MX at
round one of the
Italian Prestige
Motocross
Championship.
