It was a turning point in the Italian and International Supermoto Championships. The round at Pomposa (Ferrara, Italy), the fourth of the six scheduled races on the calendar, marked the start of the home stretch towards the 2008 title. In the S1 class (reserved to the 450cc), it was more a breakaway than anything else. It began at the start and involved the two official Aprilia riders: Thierry Van Den Bosch and Ivan Lazzarini; the latter being the current leader of both the International and Italian championships. In the classification, the Italian Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5) raised the stakes with today's success in Pomposa, building on the distance he put between himself and the rest of the field in the three previous trials. It also allowed him to pass fellow Aprilia pilot Van Den Bosch on his way to the top of the International classification with 174 points, ahead of VDB's 166.
The weekend opened on Saturday with an Aprilia head-to-head between Lazzarini and Van Den Bosch in the S1 qualifying session. Driving it was the Italian of Team DRC Supermoto, who clocked in a “good” time of 1:10.994; the only rider to break the 1.11 threshold. Simone Girolami completed the Aprilia triumvirate in the S1's top ten when he marked the 5th-best time atop an SXV 4.5.

Race 1 of the S1 opened with Lazzarini taking off in command and Van Den Bosch following behind him. After a few turns, the fraction was stopped as the track that had become inundated with oil after one of the competitor's engine broke down. Once the race restarted, Lazzarini quickly retook the lead while Van Den Bosch was closed in by the group at the first turn. The Frenchman attempted to recuperate positions while in 6th but instead lost his trajectory and ended up making contact with the filler that had been laid on the track to neutralize the oil. VDB lost control and hit the wall of protective tyres. When he got back on his bike, he made his way from 16th to 10th place as Lazzarini went on to win ahead of Hiemer (Ktm) and Fabio Balducci (Suzuki).
When the light signalled the start of Race 2, Lazzarini again found himself in command of the race, trailed by Van Den Bosch and Hiemer. The three set a serious pace but their positions didn't change as they crossed the checkered flag that saluted Lazzarini's fantastic double. It was a success that, given the talented field, was particularly noteworthy in light of the upcoming international trials. Also finishing in the top ten was Simone Girolami (Aprilia SXV 4.5), who finished 8th and 9th in the heats.
 

In the S2, an Aprilia of Team DRC Supermoto was again a protagonist as Massimo Beltrami (Aprilia SXV 5.5) finished 2nd in the first heat and 6th in the second. Race 2 was dominated by the fall of an adversary in front Beltrami, which he was unable to avoid. It was really a shame since Massimo fell from 4th place down to 11th, only to finish 6th after a heartfelt comeback that allowed him to climb atop the third step of the day's podium. It was also a positive trial for Luca Minutilli (Aprilia SXV 5.5). The rider of Team PMR H20 finished 4th on the day behind Beltrami thanks to 5th and 3rd place finishes. The S2 Italian championship, with just two races left, sees Beltrami in 3rd while Minutilli occupies 6th.
The performance of Fabrizio Bartolini (Aprilia SXV 5.5) was also solid, the private rider leading the 2008 Aprilia Supermoto Cup. He clocked in the surprising result of being the best rider atop a Noale twin in Saturday's qualifying round with the 4th-best time overall, just 0.306 seconds behind Davide Gozzini's pole (Tm). Minutilli finished 6th ahead of Beltrami in 8th. Bartolini also raced well in both heats, reaching the finish line in 6th and 7th.


Pomposa (FE) - 4th Round of the Italian and International Supermoto Championships
S1 Class
Race 1: 1. Ivan Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5); 2. Bernd Hiemer (Ktm); 3. Fabio Balducci (Suzuki); 10. Thierry Van Den Bosch (Aprilia SXV 4.5);
Race 2: 1. Ivan Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5); 2. Thierry Van Den Bosch (Aprilia SXV 4.5); 3. Bernd Hiemer (Ktm).
The International S1 Championship after 4 trials: 1. Ivan Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5) 174 points; 2. Thierry Van Den Bosch (Aprilia SXV 4.5) 166; 2. Thomas Chareyre (Husqvarna) 154.
The Italian S1 Championship after 4 trials: 1. Ivan Lazzarini (Aprilia SXV 4.5) 200 points; 2. Fabio Balducci (Suzuki) 164; 3. Cristian Ravaglia (Yamaha) 160.

S2 Class
Race 1: 1. Davide Gozzini (Tm); 2. Massimo Beltrami (Aprilia SXV 5.5); 3. Lorenzo Mariani (Tm); 5. Luca Minutilli (Aprilia SXV 5.5).
Race 2: 1. Davide Gozzini (Tm); 2. Lorenzo Mariani (Tm); 3. Luca Minutilli (Aprilia SXV 5.5); 6. Massimo Beltrami (Aprilia SXV 5.5).
The International S2 Championship after 4 trials: 1. Davide Gozzini (TM) 176 points; 2. Adrien Chareyre (Husqvarna) 165; 3. Attilio Pignotti (Ktm) 139; 4. Massimo Beltrami (Aprilia SXV 5.5) 136; 7. Luca Minutilli (Aprilia SXV 5.5) 120.
The Italian S2 Championship after 4 trials: 1. Davide Gozzini (Tm) 189 points; 2. Attilio Pignotti (Ktm) 156; 3. Massimo Beltrami (Aprilia SXV 5.5) 151; 6. Luca Minutilli (Aprilia SXV 5.5) 135.