A return of the WSC Racing Team by Aprilia in the Sportbike class was planned. With Micky Winkler as the rider. Last week, he completed a four-day fitness test at the Almería racetrack in Spain. Under the southern sun, the 23-year-old from Thuringia was able to prove to his team boss Roland Matthes that he is fully fit again after his serious injury in Schleiz in August 2025 and the subsequent intensive treatment.
Review: Winkler had shone last year in Assen with a top ten finish on his debut in the Sportbike class. He wanted to get to know the bike even better the following week on his home track in Schleiz. But in the German Twin Trophy held there, he crashed while leading the first race. The result: a complicated fracture of his left hand. That was the end of the season for the entire team.
In Almeria, the focus was not only on physical fitness for the new EURO MOTO, but also on performance on the Aprilia RS 660 Factory. After a long off-season, Winkler quickly found his rhythm and showed himself to be in strong shape, both in terms of riding and mentally. "I really wanted to know where I stood early on. After this test, I am very satisfied and absolutely confident for the 2026 season," he says, eagerly awaiting the first race weekend at the Sachsenring in early May.
Until then, further tests by the WSC team with Winkler and his Aprilia RS 660 are planned. Roland Matthes says: "We are much better equipped this year. Perhaps there will be more exciting news to report shortly."