Aruba.it Ducati rider Iker Lecuona won the Superpole Race in the WorldSBK EICMA Italian Round, leaving teammate Nicolo Bulega by 2.005 seconds. The Ducati rider secured his second victory in Cremona following the first race of the day. Bulega, who finished 146 points ahead by the end of the week, dropped to 138 points after the two races, and the championship announcement was postponed to the second race. Alberto Surra completed the podium in the Cremona Superpole Race.
Differences in the Second Race
Despite the pressure from teammate Nicolo Bulega, Iker Lecuona completed the 10-lap race in first place. The two Ducati riders competed with different tire choices this time; Lecuona used the SCX, while Bulega chose the SCQ tire. Although Bulega took the lead with an overtake on the 11th corner in braking during the third lap, Lecuona regained the lead by responding on the 13th corner. In the subsequent laps, Lecuona maintained control over Bulega's pressure, securing first place by waving the checkered flag in first place, marking the first time in his career that he has won two races in the same week.
First Race Results
The picture in Cremona began to take shape on Saturday. Lecuona finished first after starting from pole in the 23-lap first race and left Bulega by 5.591 seconds. The fastest lap of the race belonged to Lecuona with a time of 1:28.077. In third place were Sam Lowes, fourth place Lorenzo Baldassarri, and fifth place Garrett Gerloff. Lorenzo Baldassarri and Garrett Gerloff retired after an incident on the seventh corner. Alvaro Bautista also retired after a crash on the sixth corner in the second lap. Dutch rider Twan Smits, despite falling in the first race, returned to the track and finished in tenth place.
Championship Standings
Nolo Bulega maintains his lead with 582 points, and Iker Lecuona is in second place with 444 points. The gap between the two riders is 138 points. There are 149 points remaining for the season, including today's second race. Bulega, in second place, can declare the 2026 World Superbike Champion if he finishes in the top five in the afternoon second race. Barni Spark Racing Team won the 2026 Independent Team Championship with the points gained by Andrea Montella.
Podium Battle
There was a fierce battle between Alberto Surra and Andrea Montella for the podium. Montella, using the SCX tire, managed to overtake Surra on the 11th corner during the eighth lap, but Surra, using the SCQ tire, regained third place with a fast response on the 12th and 13th corners. Surra achieved his first WorldSBK podium of his career. Montella finished just 0.3 seconds behind Surra for third place. Sam Lowes took fifth place. Alex Lowes finished sixth, Tommy Bridewell seventh, Miguel Oliveira eighth, and Jake Dixon ninth. Jake Dixon made a noteworthy comeback, rising from tenth place to ninth.
Quotes:
Iker was very strong, faster than us. Therefore, I decided that there was no point in taking risks and trying something foolish. Second place is a very good position.
I want to close out the championship here, so this second place is a smart position. Sometimes we have to be smart.
Figures
- Archive: Iker Lecuona Takes Lead in Cremona Race (September 26, 2026)
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