The 2018 season officially opens with the first test of the Italian internationals of motocross that were disputed in Sardinia on the difficult track of Riola Sardo, fortunately the bad weather of the previous days gave respite and the sun was the setting for the great day of sport.

The TM Factory Team gets on track with the reconfirmed Samuele Bernardini in the MX2 and the new entry Max Nagl on the powerful 450.

Samuele is back in the race after the long stop to caua knee injury suffered last year, Benardini is immediately at ease on his 250 and qualifying gets a great second time that bodes well for the race.

The “Berna” is back and thanks to its proverbial departures very well shot from the gate immediately leading to the top position, Samuele over the second lap passes the group and will remain there for several laps. During the heats, Bernardini had a physical decline due to the preparation that was not yet optimal, finishing tenth

In the Mx1 Max Nagl has yet to find the right feeling with his new bike and used this race as a training.

Max in qualifying did not force the pace looking for absolute performance but looking for the race pace.

In the heats of the Mx1 Nagl fails to get out of the gate to perfection and at the first corner loses several positions. Max with a good race pace and trying not to make mistakes, he managed to recover several positions, closing his run in the twelfth place.

Last heat the superfinal where the best Mx1 are lined up with the best Mx2, Nagl at the start is very unlucky and hit by an opponent and because of the strong pain in the elbow he is forced to retire.

Samuele is once again a thunderbolt at the start and on the first lap he passes in sixth position, Bernardini puts on a great performance finishing in fifteenth position.

Only a few days of rest and then back on track for the second round in Sicily in Noto.

Marco Ricciardi comments on the race: “First race of the season and we are quite happy, ended both heats with good speed and this was our goal for the race. Max is proceeding calmly because he could not turn a lot, unfortunately in the superfinal a driver hit him on the elbow and he had to retire, now we will do the necessary checks to see if we can be at the start in Sicily.”