Polini Italian Cup 2026: thrilling season opener in Airola
With the first round held at the “Gianni De Luca” Circuit in Airola, the 2026 season of the Polini Italian Cup officially got underway. The 1400-meter Campanian track, known for its technical and flowing layout, highlighted the riders’ skills, delivering close battles and plenty of twists in a day with ideal racing conditions.
70 Amateurs
The action started immediately in the 70 Amateurs class from Race 1, with Brancato and Scaramozzino getting off to strong starts and battling intensely in the early stages. The two exchanged the lead several times until Scaramozzino managed to take control. Brancato didn’t give up, closed the gap and tried to pull away, but a crash forced him to restart from the back, eventually finishing tenth. Scaramozzino went on to win without major trouble. Behind him, Menchini had to defend in the closing stages from Nigro, who overtook him right on the finish line to take second place.
Race 2 was more straightforward but still intense: Brancato got a strong start and took the lead ahead of Scaramozzino, but crashed after a few laps. Mazzola also went down. At that point, it became a duel between Scaramozzino and Menchini: the latter tried everything to close the gap, but Scaramozzino held firm and secured his second win of the day. Menchini finished second, while the battle for third involved Nigro, Ortolani and Guarnotta.
Overall podium: Scaramozzino, Menchini, Nigro.
70 Supersport
The race was defined by the duel between Bobice and Modesti, the standout performers from the very beginning. Bobice took the lead right after the start and managed to hold onto it decisively, leaving no room for rivals. Modesti stayed glued to him throughout, looking for any opportunity to attack, but a slight loss of grip near the end compromised his chances of making a decisive move. Behind them, a great fight developed between Rossi and Manzo: the two battled for a long time, with Manzo initially trying to keep up with the leaders before losing ground. Rossi took advantage, stayed in his slipstream until the very end and beat him right at the line in a thrilling photo finish.
Race 2 saw Rossi take the win with a solid and fast performance (also setting the fastest lap). Marco Modesti finished second after a consistent race, while Manzo completed the podium. Further back, Bobice and Corsini rounded out the top five in a less chaotic but still highly competitive race.
Overall podium: Rossi, Modesti, Bobice.
70 Evolution
Race 1 was highly competitive, with Rea initially leading amid intense early battles. As the laps went by, pole-sitter Zani and Gallardo emerged: Zani led for a long time, but in the closing stages Gallardo launched a decisive attack to take the win. Zani finished second, while Slovenian Mihael completed the podium after a strong comeback, narrowly ahead of Rea, Beghelli, Ciotola and Sauro, all within a few seconds.
Race 2 partially reshuffled the standings, with Zani taking victory ahead of Gallardo and Rea. Further back were Beghelli and Mihael, completing the top five.
Overall podium: Zani, Gallardo, Rea.
100 Big Evo Open and 100 Sport
Race 1 was immediately full of drama: pole-sitter Morelli took the lead but was quickly challenged by Sciacca. Just as lap two was ending, a multi-rider collision forced a red flag. At the restart, the same script unfolded, with Sciacca in front and Morelli attempting a move before crashing. Shortly after, Birtele took control and resisted attacks from Consoli. Michael finished third, while Sciacca eventually crossed the line in fourth. Notable was the late-race contact between Leonardi and Koren.
Race 2 was highly spectacular: Morelli again made a strong start, but Sciacca passed him after a few corners and tried to break away. However, a crash took him out of contention, leaving Birtele to capitalize and win ahead of Consoli. Morelli finished third, while Leonardi retired due to a fall.
100 Big Evo Open overall podium: Birtele, Consoli, Morelli.
100 Sport overall podium: Cotinaut, Tortosa, Nigro.
