Ilya Mikhalchik faces new challenges. The defending champion from Team EGS-Alpha-Van Zon-BMW has gone from being the hunted to the hunter. Former MotoGP rider Jonas Folger won both IDM Superbike 1000 races on his Superbike debut at Assen. But the Yamaha rider from Bonovo action powered by MGM Racing isn’t getting anything for free
Jonas Folger:
“My comeback as a regular starter in a championship couldn’t have gone any better. Everything just clicked right from the start. It didn’t take us long to get up to speed on the track at Assen. Having done a test there beforehand was obviously a big help. Since I was able to start from pole position after qualifying, expectations for the races were particularly high. Anything less than standing at the top of the podium twice would have been a bit disappointing. But those two race wins weren’t handed to me on a silver platter. There are several very strong opponents, and I’ve been genuinely surprised by the level of some of the riders. In any case, it’s good that the competition is generally at a very high level. I’m incredibly happy about that because it pushes me to the next level myself.”
Ilya Mikhalchik:
“I wasn’t able to win this weekend, but it was still a good experience for me. It was good to see that someone can be faster than me. That helps me grow. I’m happy with the two second-place finishes. While they don’t give me the full points for the championship, they’re very important points. I was very happy that I was able to pull so far ahead of the riders behind me and stay so close to Jonas. That means we’re both racing at a very high level. It motivates me and gives me the push I need to try again in the next race.”