Supersport Cremona: Alcoba scores a Kawasaki double, Arenas closes in on the World Championship

Jeremy Alcoba dominated Supersport at Cremona, taking race 2 as well with the Kawasaki 632. Big celebrations for the Puccetti team, the official outfit of the Akashi brand, which was racing at home here. Albert Arenas again lost the head-to-head, but he has the World Championship in his sights: he has an 84-point lead over Valentin Debise with 100 still available. So the Yamaha party can already begin.

The face-off between Alcoba and Arenas at Magny-Cours ended with a contact that cost both of them the race, followed by the inevitable controversy. In race 1 the Kawasaki rider settled the score a bit roughly; this time the pass with two laps to go was butter-smooth: slipstream on the straight and an unanswerable late brake. At that point, with the rear tire gone, Arenas would have had to risk the unthinkable to ignite his pride. Instead, he used his head and, just like the day before, thought about the World Championship that’s now practically in his pocket. In the four races left, a third place is enough to seal the deal.

The former Moto2 rider, 30, has won only three of the twenty Supersport races, but he’s been on the podium sixteen times, showcasing incredible consistency. In a class as packed with race-winning candidates as this one, that’s the key strategy to aim for the final prize. Arenas has already won the Moto3 World Championship, and in the intermediate production-derived series he made an immediate impact. Now he wants Superbike; given his age, it’s an understandable request. Yamaha, however, after the arrival of Jack Miller, currently doesn’t have a YZF-R1 available to offer. Is the competition looming?

After Saturday’s podium, the former Moto3 rider delivered another high-level performance, finishing just off the podium. Even if Tom Booth-Amos and Triumph, long in the lead, were out of reach, Filippo Farioli wrapped up a weekend with a bow on it. Cremona, on the other hand, didn’t bring much luck to Valentin Debise, forced to fifth and now virtually out of contention. ZXMoto has won six races on debut, an exceptional springboard considering it’s a first-year manufacturer: for the 200 employees who came from China along with owner Zangh Xue, that’s just fine.

There are two rounds left to run in the Supersport World Championship as well. The decisive stops will be at Estoril, Portugal (October 10–11), with the grand finale at Jerez (Spain) the following week. There are 100 points still up for grabs.

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