Ducati's Desmo250 MX debuts at Motocross of Nations as Italy finishes sixth
Ferruccio Zanchi gave the Ducati Desmo250 MX a positive Motocross of Nations debut at Ernée, finishing 17th in the second moto as Italy took sixth overall.
- 6th
- 4th
- 17th
- 40 minutes
What Happened
The Motocross of Nations, held this weekend at the Ernée circuit in northern France, marked the conclusion of the debut world-championship season for the Ducati Desmo250 MX, campaigned by Ferruccio Zanchi. Zanchi rode for the Italian national team and was also part of the lineup that secured fourth place in Saturday's qualifying races. Italy finished sixth overall in the 2026 edition of the Chamberlain Trophy.
6th
Final standing in the 2026 Motocross of Nations at Ernée, France.
- Ferruccio Zanchi (MX2), riding the Ducati Desmo250 MX for the Beddini Racing Ducati MX2 Factory Team
- Alberto Forato (MXGP)
- Andrea Adamo (Open)
On race day Zanchi started outside the top 20 in both of his motos. He first battled the more powerful 450cc bikes of the MXGP class and then the 450s of the Open class, in two consecutive motos separated by only a forty-minute break, fighting his way back up the field with an excellent pace. Running sixteenth with four laps remaining in the first moto, he dropped to 32nd after a low-side crash that damaged his front brake. In the second moto he finished 17th, fighting for a top-15 spot right up to the final lap.
17th
He was still fighting for a top-15 place on the final lap.
“It was my first time with Team Italia, and it was a fantastic experience. The Ernée track is very demanding but truly great, and it was exciting to make the Desmo250 MX's debut at the Motocross of Nations. It's a shame for the mistake in the first race, which damaged the front brake disc and forced me to slow down, but overall, it was a positive weekend where I rode well and showed good speed.”
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Ducati's 2026 racing season also included the Superbike World Championship, which Nicolò Bulega sealed at Cremona with the Panigale V4 R. That title made Bulega the first Italian rider to win the championship with Ducati and gave the Borgo Panigale marque the triple crown.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The weekend closed the debut world-championship season of the Ducati Desmo250 MX, which Zanchi campaigned for the Beddini Racing Ducati MX2 Factory Team. For the Italian national team, sixth place in the 2026 Chamberlain Trophy came after Zanchi had to fight against the more powerful 450cc bikes of the MXGP and Open classes.
Terms in This Story
- moto
- A single race within a motocross event; riders usually compete in more than one moto per event.
- low-side crash
- A motorcycle crash in which the bike slides out from under the rider on the side it is leaning toward.
- MXGP
- The premier class of world championship motocross, contested on more powerful 450cc machines.
- Motocross of Nations
- An international motocross event in which national teams compete for the Chamberlain Trophy.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.