Supersport Portimao: From China with fury—ZXMoto, what a double win!

Now China is truly scaring the Supersport World Championship: the ZXMoto, masterfully ridden by Valentin Debise, also swept aside the second Portimão showdown. Two wins in one weekend were just a dream only a few months ago. Evan Bros, a thoroughly Italian team, has given wings to Asian ambitions. The rest is being delivered by the tough Frenchman.

The junior series gives us great stories and spectacular races, with several riders in the mix for stage wins and, at this rate, for the World Championship as well. Valentin Debise, starting from pole thanks to the fastest lap in race 1, led almost to the end, hounded by a much sharper Lucas Mahias than the day before, when he finished third. Three laps from the flag, the race leader made a small mistake—the only one across these two triumphant days—opening the door for both Mahias and Alberto Arenas, who was lurking. That slip lit the fuse.

Debise lost about a second and two positions, but he didn’t lose focus. In fact, he unleashed even more unexpected potential, swooping back like a hawk onto Arenas and Mahias. Retaking the lead was a matter of a few corners: the ZXMoto has superior acceleration and top speed compared to the Yamaha R9. So once Debise was back in front, he gave no quarter. The (double) celebration in the Evan Bros box kicked off again, just like the day before—and even more so.

The ZXMoto is no longer an unexpected surprise, but a very serious contender for the World title. Barring regulatory adjustments, because in Supersport, if a brand has an excessive advantage, the stewards can intervene on rev limits and/or throttle opening. So we’ll have to see if everyone will be in this configuration again at Assen. The show is excellent, so it might be fine to leave things as they are.

In a frantic finale, Jaume Masia burst through like a storm. Long in sixth and at a proper distance from the front group, the Spanish Ducatista took advantage of the scuffle up ahead and, on the last lap, found the slit to pass the Yamahas of Arenas and Mahias, grabbing an unexpected second place. With this late surge, the former Moto3 world champion consolidates his lead in a World Championship that promises endless twists and turns.