EICMA 2026, Bulega’s Last Dance as a Superbike Rider: So Many Memories in Milan

For Nicolò Bulega, EICMA 2026 will have a special feel. The reigning World Superbike champion will be in Milan with Aruba.it Racing Ducati, and it will be his last public appearance as the leading rider in the production-based series.

The newly crowned world champion is back from a trip to Austin, Texas, where he joined Dovizioso, Pedrosa and Savadori in taking a lap of honor on the Ducati D16 MotoGP in front of the 467,000 spectators at the F1 Grand Prix won by Kimi Antonelli.

As it does every year, promoter WorldSBK Organization will have a stand at EICMA recreating some of the paddock atmosphere. The space will serve as a hub for various activities and host talk shows with a host of special guests. Among them will be Troy Bayliss, Marco Melandri and Ruben Xaus, ready to go head-to-head in the Champions Charity Race.

The championship was founded under the guidance of Steve McLaughlin, but the former AMA Superbike rider managed only the inaugural season and part of the second. In 1990, brothers Maurizio and Paolo Flammini took over, steering the series until 2012 in partnership with various associates—even Indonesia’s President Suharto. The following season, WorldSBK passed to Dorna, but its ties to Italy have remained strong. Few people know that, although its headquarters are in Spain, the corporate structure overseeing its operations is still based in Rome. It is therefore no surprise that the Superbike World Championship will have a stand of its own at EICMA.

The 2026 edition of the show will take place from November 3 to 8 at Fiera Milano Rho. The first two days (November 3–4) are reserved for trade visitors. More than 1,200 exhibitors are expected, 75% of them from abroad, with an increasingly strong presence from Chinese manufacturers.

Bulega will be joined by his teammate Iker Lecuona. Ducati’s customer-team riders will also be out in force, meeting fans for autographs and selfies: Yari Montella and Álvaro Bautista (both with Barni Spark), Alberto Surra (Motocorsa), Lorenzo Baldassarri (GoEleven), Sam Lowes (Marc VDS) and Tommy Bridewell (Advocates).

Yamaha will be represented by its factory riders: Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus), Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi (Giansanti Racing).

The lower categories will be represented by Supersport World Champion Albert Arenas, runner-up Valentin Debise and teammate Federico Caricasulo (ZX Moto), as well as Sportbike champion Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki). WorldWCR riders Emily Bondi (FT Racing Academy) and Denise Dal Zotto will also be there. The list is not final: it includes only riders who have already been confirmed, and will certainly grow. Unfortunately, no MotoGP stars will be in Milan this year, as the series will be racing in Lusail, Qatar, that same week.

For nostalgic fans, the weekend is the date to mark in the diary. On Saturday and Sunday, Troy Bayliss, Marco Melandri and Ruben Xaus will go head-to-head in the Champions Charity Race, a showdown between former stars that promises to reignite old rivalries. For Bulega, meanwhile, it will be a chance to say farewell to the Italian Superbike crowd before turning the page: MotoGP awaits him next year.

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