18 year-old Francesco Cecchini secured his second straight success in the FIM Flat Track Cup by winning the second and final round held in Terenzano last Saturday. Last year he rode a Honda bike, but last winter he switched, surprisingly, to an Italian TM bike which proved a real trump card.
It was not an easy meeting for the Bikers Cave rider, who suffered a fall in his first outing. But he promptly remounted and collected decisive points towards the main final of the meeting. In the final, which was run with 12 riders over 10 laps, he started from the middle of the first grid but was seriously challenged by fellow countrymen Emanuele Marzotto during the first lap. From then on, he never looked back and sailed to an almost untroubled victory.
Cecchini reported after the meeting: “I’m really, really happy to have won once again, but it wasn’t so easy. I started the meeting in the worst possible way, by falling in the first bend of my first heat. The track was watered a little bit too much early on, but then the local organiser did a great job and the track improved as the meeting progressed. The Finnish riders were really fast out of the tapes and it was also very difficult to pass. I want to thank my team and my sponsors for everything they have done for me during the season.”
The meeting, which was very competitive, brought together riders from seven different countries, and nations like Spain and Finland were represented for the first time in the competition.
A couple of female riders also took part in the meeting. Spain’s Elia Travessa Gibert was a novice at this level, while Austrian Jasmin Poppenreiter, a very popular name at the Italian tracks, reached the main final by progressing from the last chance.
FINAL STANDINGS FIM FLAT TRACK CUP 2015
1. Cecchini Francesco 60
2. Brindley Oliver 46
3. Marzotto Emanuele 44+3
4. Kenkkila Herman 44+F
5. Collins Aidan 42
6. Birtwhistle Alan 39
7. Koskinen Mikko 38
8. Pucko Pavol 34
9. Delestre Wilfried 33
10. Serra Sala Franc 29
11. Poppenreiter Jasmin 28
12. Schruf Johann 27
13. Bomais Damien 25
14. Galletti Gianluca 23
15. Stella Philippe 21
16. Gibert Elia Travessa 17
17. Katzler Georg 16
18. Sijbring Rob 9
19. Coffignez Julien 6
FINAL RESULT OF ROUND 2 TERENZANO
1. Cecchini Francesco (Ita) 30
2. Marzotto Emanuele (Ita) 26
3. Brindley Oliver (GB) 24
4. Collins Aidan (GB) 22
5. Birtwhistle Alan (GB) 22
6. Pucko Pavol (CZ)19
7. Kenkkila Herman (Fin) 18
8. Schruf Johann (Aut) 17
9. Delestre Wilfried (Fra) 16
10. Poppenreiter Jasmin (Aut) 15
11. Koskinen Mikko (Fin) 14
12. Serra Sala Franc (Spa)13
13. Galletti Gianluca (Ita) 12
14. Bomais Damien (Fra) 11
15. Travessa Elia Gibert (Spa) 10
16. Stella Philippe (Fra) 9
17. Katzler Georg (Aut) 8
Giorgio Lazzari