While the EURO MOTO riders face off in the next showdown of the season this weekend at the Automotodrom Brno, a familiar face will be missing from the sportbike field. Oliver Svendsen, the 2024 IDM champion and 2025 runner-up, will be competing in the FIM Sportbike World Championship in Aragon, Spain, at the same time.
This opens up an opportunity for the Dane that he has been working toward and hoping for for years. After several successful seasons in the International German Motorcycle Championship, the 22-year-old wants to take the next step toward the World Championship. In Aragon, Svendsen will line up as a reserve rider for the Kove Moto factory team on a Kove 450RR. “This is exactly the next step I want to take and my goal. I’m really excited about this opportunity and the weekend, and I’ll do my best to support the team in achieving their goals,” says Svendsen. The opportunity arises due to the injury-related absences of local hero Beñat Fernández and German rider Phillip Tonn. Together with Daniel Mogeda, Svendsen will therefore bolster the Kove Moto lineup for the third round of the World Championship season. It remains to be seen how long the two regular riders will be sidelined and whether the Dane will make further appearances for the team in the future.
Team ERC is missing after the season opener
Svendsen made his debut for his new team, ERC, at the season opener of the EURO MOTO at the Sachsenring. Together with team manager Lothar Kraus, who had served as his crew chief the previous year, he switched to a Kawasaki ZX-6R 636. With fifth- and seventh-place finishes, the Dane earned solid points toward the championship.
However, EURO MOTO fans will have to wait a little longer for Svendsen and his team. ERC has withdrawn from both the Brno and Most rounds. This means that, in addition to Svendsen, his teammates Sasha de Vits and Jules Bercot will also not be competing in the upcoming events. The team is expected to return no sooner than the next German round of the EURO MOTO in Oschersleben.