Polini Italian Cup 2026: show and Thrilling Duels in the Second Round at Latina
Second round of the season for the Polini Italian Cup 2026, held at the “Il Sagittario” circuit in Latina. The Lazio track, considered one of the most technical and spectacular ones on the calendar, gave intensely competitive races across every category, featuring overtakes, photo finishes and nonstop battles. It was an intensive day that once again confirmed the extremely high level of the 2026 season riders.
70 Amateurs
Race 1 saw Pica get off to a perfect start, immediately taking the lead ahead of D’Agostino. The two quickly pulled away from the rest of the field, while Candelori secured third place behind them. Lap after lap, Pica and D’Agostino increased their advantage, while Candelori looked capable of rejoining the fight in the closing stages but lacked the final push. In the final laps, D’Agostino attempted an attack on Pica but made a costly mistake. Pica won, with Candelori taking advantage to finish second and Menchini third.
Race 2 once again featured Pica leading from the opening corners, but D’Agostino adopted a different strategy compared to the first heat: he allowed the leader to push early on before closing the gap and applying pressure later in the race. Behind them, the battle for third place was open, with constant overtaking. In the end, the duel between Pica and D’Agostino was decided in a dramatic sprint to the line: D’Agostino tried everything using the slipstream, ended up on the grass, and crossed the finish line after a spectacular crash on the final straight, fortunately without consequences.
Overall podium: Pica, Candelori, Henry
70 Supersport
In Race 1, Modesti made the most of his pole position, leading into the first corner. Behind him, Manzi and Rossi matched his pace, forming a very fast trio that quickly opened a gap over the rest of the pack. The three riders stayed close together for most of the race, while battles continued behind them. In the closing stages, a mistake by Rossi paved the way for Modesti’s victory. The fight for second place was decided at the line, with Bobice narrowly holding off Manzi.
Race 2 followed a similar script, with Modesti immediately taking the lead and setting a relentless pace. Rossi and Manzi stayed close behind for much of the race, but Bobice gradually closed in, proving especially effective on the longest straight where he completed several overtakes. In the final laps, Bobice even attempted to challenge Rossi, but a small mistake on corner exit allowed Rossi to defend and secure second place. Victory went to Modesti ahead of Rossi and Bobice.
Overall podium: Modesti, Bobice, Rossi
70 Evolution
Race 1 of the 70 Evolution class was incredibly intense, with Gabriele Rea aggressively taking the lead into the first braking zone. However, Polini team rider Ciotola quickly found his rhythm and attempted to break away, while Rea made a mistake and lost several positions. Beghelli moved into second place, but Zani stormed through the field with an impressive comeback, eventually taking second and reducing the gap to Ciotola. In the closing stages, though, Ciotola responded strongly and secured a brilliant victory. Zani finished second ahead of Beghelli, while Martin Mihael and Jack The Rizzer completed the top five.
Race 2 once again saw Rea launch into the lead with Ciotola immediately behind him. As in the first race, Ciotola soon took over at the front and imposed an extremely fast pace that proved difficult for everyone else to match. Meanwhile, Zani fought his way back to second place, creating a thrilling long-distance duel with Ciotola, the two separated by less than two seconds all the way to the checkered flag. Behind them, the fight for the podium remained intense, with Martin Mihael edging out Rea in the final sprint.
Overall podium: Ciotola, Zani, Mihael
100 Big Evo Open e 100 Sport
Race 1 began with an excellent start by Nico Morelli, who grabbed the lead ahead of Birtele. The group remained compact and extremely fast until Birtele executed a spectacular overtaking maneuver in one of the circuit’s fastest sections. Birtele then attempted to pull away, but Morelli stayed attached, keeping the battle alive until the finish line. Behind them, Koren and Marko Mihael also delivered strong performances.
In Race 2, Morelli tried a different strategy by immediately taking the lead to force Birtele into direct combat. Koren also got off to a strong start, but Birtele once again proved untouchable: during the opening lap he moved into first place and steadily increased his advantage from there. Behind him, Morelli and Koren continued battling while trying to remain in the leader’s slipstream, but without success. Birtele cruised to victory and celebrated with a wheelie under the checkered flag. Morelli finished second ahead of Koren, while Leonardi and Consoli completed the top five. It was instead an unlucky weekend for Marko Mihael, who was forced to retire near the end.
In the 100 Sport class, Cotinaut secured a double victory over Tortosa.
100 Big Evo Open overall podium: Birtele, Morelli, Koren
100 Sport overall podium: Cotinaut, Tortosa
