De Cancellis: "The goal was to try and get a top five… the last lap was incredible!"
The Frenchman ended a long wait for victory and he claimed it in a record-breaking race at the TT Circuit Assen
At the 43rd time of asking, French rider Hugo De Cancellis (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) was able to claim his first FIM Supersport 300 World Championship victory during Race 2 at the TT Circuit Assen during the Motul Dutch Round. His victory was a record-breaking win for both himself and the Championship as he edged out Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) by just 0.002s at the end of the 14-lap race.
The winning margin of 0.002s was the closest finish in the history of WorldSSP300, beating the 0.003s recorded at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Race 2 in 2021, when Alvaro Diaz lost out to Bahattin Sofuoglu. De Cancellis had been trailing Diaz heading out of the Geert Timmer chicane but utilised the slipstream to the line to claim a stunning maiden victory.
With De Cancellis having to wait 43 races between his first WorldSSP300 race and his first win, the Frenchman also broke the record for longest WorldSSP300 wait for their maiden victory in the class for riders who have won at least one race. His 43-race wait is 11 longer than the previous record holder, with Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) waiting 32 races for his first win.
Reacting after his incredible win, an emotional De Cancellis said: “This is an incredible day. This is a lot of effort and this is my first victory in the World Championship. I want to say a big thanks to all my family and team. I made a big mistake during the Superpole and I started 19th on the grid. The goal was to try and get a top five like Race 1, to take points, and quickly I was at the front of the group. I stayed at the front and two laps before the end, I went maybe sixth or eighth. I saw the first guy go so I had to go. The last lap was incredible.”
De Cancellis’ incredible victory in the Netherlands means France moves above Germany and Japan in the wins by nation stat with two victories, level with Indonesia. It was also the country’s 15th podium, keeping them in third place in the list but still some 30 behind the Netherlands in second and 53 behind leaders Spain.
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