Ducati Desmo250 MX Debuted in Italian Motocross Championship

Following the debut of its Desmo450 MX in the premier MX1 class of the Italian Prestige Motocross Championship last year, Ducati has chosen the same approach for its 250cc four-stroke—the Desmo250 MX. The quarter-liter thumper marks the second chapter of Ducati’s motocross project, and part of its development involves being raced in the MX2 division of the Italian Prestige Motocross Championship this year by Alessandro Lupino.

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The 34-year-old competitor hadn’t raced a 250F in a decade, but adapted well to the smaller-displacement version of the Ducati motocross bike he won the MX1 title on the year prior. In the first moto of the series opener at Ottobiano, Lupino and another rider made contact, which resulted in him hitting the ground. Despite the fall, and subsequent sore wrist and bent-up machine, he salvaged a 10th place finish. In the second race, Lupino achieved a runner-up result, and his 10-2 moto scores were enough for third overall on the day, which gave the Desmo250 MX a podium result in its first-ever race.

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