Four-Rider WorldSSP Thriller Ends in Photo Finish

Stefano Manzi holds off late charges to clinch victory in Cremona

The final battle for the victory and the podium places in the first 20-lap WorldSSP Race at Cremona proved to be a four-rider affair, with just 1.109 seconds covering the top four places.

After Can Öncü (Yamaha bLU cRU Evan Bros Racing) crashed out on lap three (to eventually retire), a real fight began between eventual winner Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ducati).

After Masia slowed, having run several laps in the lead of the race, it became the turn of finally second-place rider Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) to scrap with Manzi, which he did right to the final lap.

Manzi had just enough juice and concentration to lead over the line by 0.344 seconds, with Booth-Amos taking yet another podium. Masia’s race-leading performance for much of the first half of the race ended up with ‘only’ a fourth-place finish as Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse Ducati) took his own first podium of the 2025 season.

Fifth place in the opener was secured by the old-stager in WorldSSP terms, Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha), finishing with a small gap back to Xavi Cardelus (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ducati). Cardelus’ sixth place ended a positive overall race day for his Spanish-based Ducati team, even if Masia did miss out on the podium.

Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was top MV rider in seventh, with his teammate Filippo Farioli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) eighth. Aldi Mahendra (Yamaha bLU cRU Evan Bros Racing) and Marcel Schrötter (WRP Racing Ducati) completed the top ten. Oli Bayliss was 12th in Race One on his PTR Triumph Factory Racing triple. Luke Power (Motozoo ME Air Racing MV Agusta) was finally 20th.

With one race still to go at Cremona, Manzi has a 30-point lead over Bendsneyder in the championship, which means no matter what happens in Race Two on Sunday, Manzi leaves this particular weekend with the championship lead.

Cremona WorldSSP Race 1