Polini Italian cup 2026: Modena delivers thrilling racing and photo-finish finals in round three
The Polini Italian Cup 2026 headed to the Modena Circuit for the third round of the season. The fast and technical Italian track produced spectacular overtakes, impressive comebacks, and thrilling finishes, with several races decided only in the final meters, once again highlighting the outstanding level of competition in the championship.
70 Amateurs
Race 1 opens with a perfect start from D’Agostino, who converted his pole position into the race lead and immediately attempted to build a small advantage. Behind him, an exciting battle: Nigro launched the first attack before Scaramozzino made his move, until the positions eventually settled. None of the chasing riders, however, could match the leader’s pace, In the middle stages, Menchini tried to pull away from Scaramozzino, but the latter stayed close and completed the decisive pass in the closing laps to secure second place. D’Agostino won ahead of Scaramozzino and Menchini.
Race 2 initially followed a similar script, with the front row riders arriving side by side into the first braking zone. This time, however, Menchini took the lead ahead of D’Agostino, setting up a duel that lasted until the checkered flag. Behind them, Scaramozzino fought his way through the field, overtaking Dalle Crode before joining the leaders, creating a four-rider breakaway. D’Agostino briefly regained the lead but was unable to escape as he had done in Race 1. Menchini remained glued to his rear wheel, shut down every attempt to break away, and made the winning move on the final lap. Behind them, Scaramozzino edged past D’Agostino right on the finish line to take second place.
Overall Podium: Marco Menchini, Marco D’Agostino, Pasquale Scaramozzino
70 Evolution e 70 Supersport
As in previous rounds, the 70 Evolution and 70 Supersport classes raced together.
In Race 1, Rea made the most of his pole position to hold the lead, while Team Polini rider Ciotola immediately settled into second place. Zani had a more difficult start, losing third position to Martin Mihael. Rea attempted to extend his advantage while Ciotola constantly pressured him, searching for an overtaking opportunity. The Team Polini rider even drew alongside the leader but couldn’t complete the move. Meanwhile, Zani produced an excellent comeback, passing Martin Mihael before catching the leading pair and overtaking Rea. Just as he looked ready to attack for victory, Ciotola crashed while battling for the lead, opening the door for Zani to take the win. Rea finished second, with Beghelli completing the podium.
Race 2 delivered an even more spectacular finale. Rea once again launched perfectly off the line and quickly opened a small gap, while Zani moved into second place. Behind them, Ciotola began an impressive comeback, overtaking Beghelli and Rea before chasing down the leader. A thrilling battle developed, with Zani excelling under braking at the end of the main straight, while Ciotola consistently gained time through the fast direction changes thanks to his remarkable pace. The two riders remained side by side until the final corner. Zani exited in front, but Ciotola’s stronger acceleration onto the finish straight allowed him to snatch victory by just eight thousandths of a second in a breathtaking sprint to the line.
In the 70 Supersport class, Manzo delivered an outstanding performance by winning both races after exciting battles with Visani, Corsini and Bobice.
70 Evolution Overall Podium: Zani, Rea, Beghelli.
70 Supersport Overall Podium: Manzo, Corsini, Visani.
100 Big Evo Open e 100 Sport
The combined race format was also maintained for the 100 Big Evo Open and 100 Sport categories.
In Race 1, Leonardi once again showcased his exceptional starting ability by taking the lead from the lights. Starting from the second row, Birtele produced an outstanding opening lap, carving his way through the field to move into second place. Morelli initially tried to keep pace but gradually lost ground as other riders overtook him. At the front, Leonardi and Birtele put on a spectacular battle filled with overtakes and counterattacks. After finally taking control of the race, Leonardi managed his advantage to the finish, claiming victory ahead of Birtele and Marko Mihael.
Race 2 once again saw Leonardi launch perfectly and build an early lead. Behind him, Morelli and Consoli engaged in a fierce battle until Consoli finally completed the decisive pass. Once clear of Morelli, Consoli caught Leonardi, took over the lead, and immediately imposed an impressive pace, gradually building enough of a gap to comfortably control the race to the finish. Behind them, Leonardi successfully defended second place from the charging Marko Mihael and Birtele, who closed the gap but never found an opportunity to attack.
In the 100 Sport category, Tortosa completed a perfect double victory, finishing ahead of Fulgeri and Neri in both races.
100 Big Evo Open Overall Podium: Leonardi, Consoli, Birtele.
100 Sport Overall Podium: Tortosa, Fulgeri, Neri.