Favorite to win Thomas Gradinger has returned to the IDM Supersport series following his injury and has immediately gotten back to business as usual. The Austrian rider from Team Eder Racing was the fourth-fastest rider in his class on his Yamaha YZF-R6 during free practice at Most. But that’s not enough for him.
Things had gone badly for the 25-year-old in Oschersleben. Eager for his first win of the season and in even better form than at the season opener at the Lausitzring, his chances were dashed as early as the formation lap of the first race. Gradinger crashed out of the race in a spectacular highside and broke his right radius. His forearm was put in a cast. In the meantime, Max Enderlein has racked up two more wins this season. Now his hoped-for competition is back—and in a big way. The front of the pack at Most is teeming with guest riders from the Supersport World Championship: Glenn van Straalen, Raffaele de Rosa, Patrick Hobelsberger. Enderlein is currently still the fastest man on the track according to the timesheets after free practice. His one-day visit to the circuit a week ago is now paying off. Gradinger has settled into the middle of the pack of guest riders, who are excluded from the IDM standings. They receive no points. This means that the duel between Enderlein and Gradinger is likely to reignite in this regard.
How is the Austrian doing after his disastrous crash? “My hand is working pretty well, but I can only bend the joint slightly. I have to contort myself a bit when braking, but otherwise I’m okay.” His infection is bothering him much more. Gradinger hasn’t been feeling particularly well for days. Headaches, hot flashes, chills, a sore throat, fatigue—he has a bit of everything, but nothing is quite right. In that regard, he’s currently in line with many of his fellow citizens. However, there’s no reason to stay away from the racetrack. “I’m resting a bit more than usual, and then I don’t have any problems at all,” says Gradinger, who is eager to finally get back in the game. When asked if he’ll be able to make it through the two races on Sunday, he grins mischievously and jokes to his team boss: “Of course, otherwise he’ll kill me.”