The BMW factory team missed out on pole position by just 0.032 seconds in today’s qualifying session for the opening round of the World Endurance Championship. Tomorrow, Saturday, the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans will get underway. For team rider Markus “Reiti” Reiterberger, this is the ideal preparation for the EURO MOTO Superbike series, which begins on the second weekend in May at the Sachsenring. Team boss Werner Daemen is already singing the Bavarian’s praises and says he came close to setting lap records during various test runs. This doesn’t faze reigning champion Lukas Tulovic three weeks before the season opener. The 25-year-old Ducati rider is pursuing a different strategy.
“I’m not racing in the EWC because I haven’t received any invitations, but also because I’m focusing on one thing,” Tulovic replies when asked why he isn’t at Le Mans. Several rivals from the EURO MOTO Superbike series have traveled to France: Marcel Schrötter, Marco Fetz, Hannes Soomer, Soma Görbe, Jan Mohr, and Milan Merckelbagh.
Not a major event, but lots of small ones
Tulo took a training break near the foot of the Zugspitze after competing in the “1,000 Kilometers of Hockenheim” over Easter. Although his team briefly led the race, the transponder malfunctioned first. After several safety car periods, a crash, and a stop-and-go penalty, he finished in 5th place overall.
Before the start of EURO MOTO, the defending Superbike champion will still be spending plenty of time on his bike and has a lot on his plate. A press launch with Ducati, his job as a MotoGP expert at Sky, his role as an instructor at the Hafeneger racing training sessions, and two test sessions with Triple M Racing Ducati Frankfurt are all still on the schedule. Tulo swears by the Panigale V4R, its explosive power, and tire management—and his start. As for Reiterberger: “I’ve never raced against him before. We’ll see how it goes in a head-to-head battle at the Sachsenring.”
