Ducati's foray into MX off to a flyer after Desmo 250MX secures podium finish in championship debut

Ducati’s foray into motocross has hit another significant milestone after their Desmo 250MX prototype model secured the team an impressive podium finish at its racing debut.

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Competing in the Italian Prestige MX2 Championship, the Team Beddini Factory Racing bike was piloted by Alessandro Lupino to third place in the second moto, despite a tough first race for the nine-time Italian Motocross Champion.

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Lupino, who is returning to a 250cc 4-stroke after a 10-year break, had a challenging start. In the first race, he was involved in a collision that left him nursing a swollen wrist and a damaged bike.

Despite the pain, Lupino fought through the race to finish 10th. In the second moto, the 34-year-old Italian upped the pace and was able to bag a podium spot, finishing in a solid third place ahead of Valerio Lata and Julius Mikula.

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The Desmo250 MX, which has only been in development for a few weeks, ran solidly in both motos.

“I’m happy once again, we did a great job, and I have to congratulate the team at Ducati, who performed a miracle,” Lupino said.

“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 finishes. 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.”

After the first round, Lupino sits third in the standings with 290 points. The next round will take place at the Mantova circuit on March 29-30.