What a debut! Inigo Iglesias won his very first race in the Sportbike class of the International German Championship (IDM) at the Schleizer Dreieck. The Spaniard, who stepped in at the last minute for the injured Luis Rammerstorfer on the Freudenberg RoRa-Paligo Racing team, capped off his debut with a commanding victory—but it was a real nail-biter right up until the end.
Svendsen gets off to a strong start – Iglesias takes control
It was clear right from the start: this race wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. Oliver Svendsen (Triumph Germany Racing Team), who had to start from fifth place after receiving a penalty, immediately shot up to second place behind pole-sitter Iglesias. The two pulled away from the chasing pack after just the first lap. Behind them followed Aprilia rider Petr Svoboda (WRP Racing) and Justin Hänse (Motorradtke GYTR by Penz13) on his Yamaha YZF-R7. Cedric Holme Nielsen (Motorradtke GYTR by Penz13) and Ben Kugler (MotoLife) rounded out the first chasing group. Meanwhile, Danish rider Ty Henriksen made a big impression: Starting from the back of the grid (P13), the Dane plowed through the field and was already in seventh place after three laps.
Leadership change – Drops on the visor
In the third lap, Svendsen finally launched the decisive attack—and it paid off. The Dane took the lead from Iglesias, who was forced to concede defeat for the first time. Shortly afterward, race officials displayed the rain flag as light rain began to fall. But the rain stopped quickly, and the track remained passable throughout.
Hanse on a comeback – Iglesias strikes back
While Svendsen set the pace at the front, Justin Hänse was really starting to find his rhythm. The local hero passed Svoboda and set off in pursuit of the leaders. Iglesias stayed close to Svendsen, while Hänse went full throttle and steadily made up time lap after lap. On lap eight, Iglesias made a gear-shifting error at the end of the start-finish straight—Hänse was immediately on the spot and was now right on the Spaniard’s tail. At the same time, Alexander Weizel had to park his motorcycle at the pit entrance due to technical problems, which is why he was shown the checkered flag.
Final: Iglesias Keeps His Cool to Claim Victory
Svendsen began having trouble with his rear tire, which seemed to slow him down and prevent him from maintaining a clean line. Iglesias wasted no time in applying pressure, with Justin Hänse lurking close behind. On the ninth lap, Iglesias finally retook the lead from Svendsen. Yamaha rider Justin Hänse initially stayed in contention but eventually fell back in the closing stages.
In the penultimate lap, Iglesias really stepped it up and was nearly a second faster than before. Svendsen gave it his all, but a slight misjudgment of the brakes on the final lap sealed the outcome: The Spaniard crossed the finish line first and immediately celebrated his first IDM victory in the new Sportbike class. “That was just sweet revenge for everything that’s happened in the last few weeks,” said Iglesias, beaming before the podium ceremony. “I was finally able to show what I’m capable of—and I feel almost at home here in Schleiz and on the bike.”
Podium complete – fierce battles in the midfield
Oliver Svendsen earned a well-deserved second-place finish, securing crucial points for the championship. Justin Hänse rewarded himself with third place and his second podium of the season—another strong performance by the Thuringian on his home track. Petr Svoboda drove a quiet but solid race to finish fourth.
Ben Kugler had to work hard after a poor start but fought his way back to fifth place with strong pace. Cedric Holme Nielsen finished sixth, while Aprilia rider Kristoffer König (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb) recorded his best IDM result with a seventh-place finish. Ty Henriksen (Henriksen Racing) fought his way up to fifth place at one point, but on the final lap, the 18-year-old managed to avoid a looming highside, ultimately finishing eighth.
IDM Sportbike Race 1 Results:
- Inigo IGLESIAS (ESP), Triumph
- Oliver SVENDSEN (DEN), Triumph
- Justin HÄNSE (GER), Yamaha
- Petr SVOBODA (CZE), Aprilia
- Ben KUGLER (GER), Aprilia
- Cedric HOLME NIELSEN (GER), Yamaha
- Kristoffer KÖNIG (GER), Aprilia
- Ty HENRIKSEN (DEN), Aprilia
- Anton SÖDERGREN (SWE), Triumph
- Rick KOOISTRA (NLD), Triumph
- Sven SEIDLER (GER), Aprilia
- Korbinian BRANDL (GER), Aprilia