Friday’s practice sessions at Most offered a glimpse into the new dynamics of the EURO MOTO Sportbike class title race, but by no means decided the outcome. While championship leader Jakob Rosenthaler (RT Motorsports Racing) is sidelined due to injury, Tobias Kitzbichler (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb) was not yet able to fully capitalize on his chance to take the lead during the first two free practice sessions. The Austrian finished the day in fifth place on the combined timesheet.
This leaves the situation wide open heading into qualifying and the race. Although Kitzbichler remains within striking distance despite a minor crash in the first practice session, no one has been able to establish a dominant lead. Given Rosenthaler’s narrow lead of just four points, the Sportbike class promises to remain exciting, according to Most.
Ruben Bijman (Freudenberg RoRa-Paligo Racing) provided one of the day’s more curious stories. The Dutch rider finished second in the combined standings, even though his Friday was anything but smooth. Bijman crashed in both FP1 and FP2, but still ended up among the fastest riders in the field. “I did crash twice today, but that wasn’t due to the bike or the setup. Ultimately, our pace is really good. I feel fast on this track and know that we can compete at the front. My goal for this weekend is very clear: I want to finally claim my first victory in the Sportbike class,” Bijman explained. The Dutchman’s most recent race win was quite some time ago. In 2024, he won the final race of Supersport at the season finale in Hockenheim.
Behind the leader, the gaps were generally very close. Despite finishing fifth, Tobias Kitzbichler remains firmly in the running for the top spot. Right ahead of him, Louis Rammerstorfer and local hero Stepan Zuda (both Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing) took third and fourth place, respectively. Guest driver Bruno Ieraci (RT Motorsports) set the fastest time in the sweltering heat and currently leads the combined standings for the two free practice sessions.
The action continues on Saturday with the first qualifying session at 9:00 a.m., followed by the second qualifying session at 12:25 p.m. By then at the latest, it will be clear who has secured pole position and thus earned the best starting spot for the first race that afternoon at 3:55 p.m. It will also become clear who can take the next important step in the battle for the championship lead.