SPB: Rosenthaler Wins with a Solid Strategy and the Fastest Lap

Jakob Rosenthaler (RT Motorsports Racing) also won the second race of the EURO MOTO Sportbike series at the Automotodrom Brno. On Sunday afternoon, the Austrian prevailed over Ruben Bijman and Stepan Zuda (both of Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing) after a spectacular nine-lap thriller. Just 0.369 seconds separated the top three finishers at the finish line.

Yet the race got off to a far from predictable start. Pole-sitter Tobias Kitzbichler (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb) didn’t get off to the best start, but he made up the lost ground in the opening corners and even briefly pulled away from the pack. His lead didn’t last long, though. By the third lap, Ruben Bijman had taken the lead, kicking off a back-and-forth battle that would continue all the way to the checkered flag.

A seven-rider breakaway formed at the front, consisting of Bijman, Kitzbichler, Rosenthaler, guest rider Daniel Tureček, Zuda, Julian van Kalkeren, and Mika Siebdrath. Positions shifted constantly as the riders battled wheel-to-wheel for every meter. Behind them, a significant gap had already opened up. Maksymilian Palmowski (SP Race Project) initially led the chasing group, though Kiyano Veijer (Dutch Talent Racing) also took the lead there at one point.

Rosenthaler is patiently waiting for his chance

While attacks were coming thick and fast at the front, Jakob Rosenthaler had a different plan. The previous day’s winner initially held back deliberately, observing the action from the front of the pack. In the final lap, a three-way battle for the win developed. Rosenthaler defended the lead with a flawless lap, while Bijman gave it his all in the final meters but ultimately came up short. A one-two finish for Rosenthaler. “The second race today was completely different from yesterday. There were an incredible number of passing maneuvers in the leading group. I held back a bit in the first half of the race and tried to conserve my tires. It was clear to me that this could be a decisive advantage in the end,” the Austrian reported after the race. In the final lap, he finally “really let loose,” as he put it, and won the race with his fastest lap of the entire weekend. “I was almost a second faster on the final lap than in the previous one,” said Rosenthaler, adding: “The finish turned out exactly as I had hoped and planned.” He heads home with 50 more points to his name and 83 points as the leader in the overall standings.

Zuda grits his teeth, Siebdrath celebrates

Behind the two of them, Stepan Zuda secured another podium finish in third place. “The whole weekend was very difficult for me. I’m still struggling with the aftereffects of the hand injury I sustained during the World Championship weekend. The injury significantly limits my ability to ride. That’s why I’m really very happy with third place,” explained the Czech rider.

Just off the podium, Mika Siebdrath (Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing) achieved a personal highlight. The Freudenberg rider finished fourth, marking his best result to date in the EURO MOTO Sportbike class.

Julian van Kalkeren (Pearle Gebben Racing) rounded out the top 5. The Dutch rider had kept pace with the leading group for a long time thanks to a strong start, but eventually fell behind as the race progressed.

Kitzbichler pulls through

Tobias Kitzbichler managed to finish in sixth place despite an incident on the penultimate lap. His Aprilia began to wobble, causing the Austrian to swerve wide and narrowly avoid a crash. Daniel Tureček (Rohac & Fejta Motoracing Team powered by Eder Racing) was carried wide as a result and ended up in the gravel trap. For the local hero, the race was over prematurely, while Kitzbichler was able to continue but lost contact with the leading group.

For Tom Kuil (RT Motorsports Racing), the race was over early on. The Dutch rider ended up in the gravel trap in the penultimate corner on the third lap and was forced to retire from the race.

EURO MOTO Sportbike, Race 2