The new sportbike class of the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) had everyone on the edge of their seats during Saturday’s opening race at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. What began as a quiet start turned into a high-stakes thriller right after the green flag dropped. And right in the thick of it: Oliver Svendsen, who secured the victory despite receiving a double long-lap penalty.
A tough preparation for Svendsen
Up until the first race, the IDM weekend in Oschersleben had been a bit of a mixed bag for Oliver Svendsen (Triumph Germany Racing Team). Although the Dane set a few fast lap times here and there, his usual consistent performance was nowhere to be seen. Changes to the suspension were causing the 2024 IDM champion some trouble, resulting in a sixth-place starting position after qualifying. “I was incredibly nervous before the start because I just couldn’t get a good feel for the bike all weekend and nothing was really going well,” Svendsen recalled. But from the moment the race started, all of the 21-year-old’s worries and insecurities seemed to vanish. On his Triumph Daytona 660, he catapulted himself from sixth place to the front in no time at all. A minor braking error allowed Inigo Iglesias (Wematik Racing by RT Motorsports) to briefly pass him, but Svendsen countered a few corners later—and Petr Svoboda (WRP Racing) wasn’t far behind, snatching the lead from Iglesias.
While Rick Kooistra (Pearle Gebben Racing) kept Inigo Iglesias busy in fourth place, Svendsen and Svoboda gradually pulled away at the front. Svendsen impressed with a fast pace that only Svoboda could match. Together, they built up a comfortable lead over Iglesias, Kooistra, and Rammerstorfer (Freudenberg RoRa-Paligo Racing).
Svendsen and Holme Nielsen receive a double long-lap penalty
On the fourth lap, race control finally issued a double long-lap penalty: both Cedric Holme Nielsen and Oliver Svendsen had jumped the start. Svendsen served his first long lap immediately on the next lap, forcing him to let Svoboda pass. However, the gap to Iglesias and Kooistra was large enough for him to get back in front of them. The Dane picked up the pace again and made up ground meter by meter. Shortly before he began his second long lap, Svoboda was back within range—the next chase began immediately. Four laps later, Svendsen was once again right on the Czech’s tail, executed a determined pass, and held onto the lead all the way to the finish. “I can’t really explain myself why I struggled so much in all the practice sessions and was then so strong in the race,” said Svendsen, clearly surprised by his own performance. With the victory, he earned important points for the championship, which he currently leads with 144 points.
Svoboda Consistent Once Again, Debut for Kooistra
Petr Svoboda finished second. Although he came dangerously close to Svendsen once again on the final lap, he ultimately couldn’t find a way past him. “We’re happy with second place, even though we still have a few things to work on,” said Svoboda. “But we’re making progress—our consistent results prove that.” Indeed: Five podium finishes in seven races and second place in the championship speak for themselves.
Rick Kooistra achieved exactly what he had set out to do after qualifying: his first IDM podium. “I’m so happy that all the hard work is finally paying off and that I can focus entirely on riding,” said the Dutchman, whose performance had already been on the rise at Most with personal best lap times. “It’s my first year in the IDM, and many of the tracks are new to me—which makes me all the more pleased with this podium,” said the Assen native riding the orange Triumph.
Iglesias lacks power, Rammerstorfer in the top 5
Fourth place went to Inigo Iglesias. Although the Spaniard got off to a strong start, he was unable to keep up with the leading group as the race progressed. Luis Rammerstorfer finished his comeback race following a broken collarbone with a solid fifth-place finish. For a long time, the Austrian stayed close behind Justin Hänse (Motorradtek GYTR by Penz13), who himself was unable to pass Iglesias. On the final lap, Rammerstorfer finally found the decisive opening and pulled past Hänse. The German finished sixth, while his teammate Cedric Holme Nielsen took seventh place.
For Ben Kugler (MotoLife), the weekend came to a premature end: an engine failure during the second qualifying session put a stop to the new Triumph’s campaign. There weren’t enough parts or time to get the bike race-ready—Kugler had to watch the race from the pits.
The second race for the Sportbike class is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. on Sunday.
IDM Sportbike, Race 1
- Oliver SVENDSEN (DEN), Triumph Daytona 660
- Petr SVOBODA (CZE), Aprilia RS 660
- Rick KOOISTRA (NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Inigo IGLESIAS (ESP), Triumph Daytona 660
- Luis RAMMERSTORFER (AUS), Triumph Daytona 660
- Justin HÄNSE (GER), Yamaha YZF-R7
- Cedric HOLME NIELSEN (GER), Yamaha YZF-R7
- Korbinian BRANDL (GER), Aprilia RS 660
- Alexander WEIZEL (GER), Aprilia RS 660
- Anton SÖDERGREN (SWE)
- Ty HENRIKSEN (DEN), Aprilia RS 660
- Kristoffer KÖNIG (GER), Aprilia RS 660
- (G) Maksymilian PALMOWSKI (POL), Aprilia RS 660
- (G) Lucas Persson SØRENSEN (DEN), Aprilia 660
- Sven SEIDLER (GER), Aprilia 660
DNS: Ben KUGLER (GER), Triumph Daytona 660