In the second race of the EURO MOTO Sportbike class in Most, there was actually a winner and an official result this time. Unlike on Saturday, when the first race was stopped after two attempts to start due to safety concerns and was not counted, the race on Sunday—once again in sweltering heat—went the full distance this time. Stepan Zuda secured the victory on his home track, and it was as close as it could possibly be.
A showdown at the top right down to the final turn
Even the start of the second race was significantly calmer than it had been the day before. Stepan Zuda (Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing), who started from pole position, initially took the lead. Behind him were Tobias Kitzbichler (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb) and Bruno Ieraci (RT Motosports), who once again played a strong role as a last-minute replacement for the injured Jakob Rosenthaler (RT Motorsports). Ruben Bijman and Mika Siebdrath (both Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing) initially rounded out the top five.
A tight three-way battle quickly developed at the front. The lead kept shifting back and forth between Zuda, Kitzbichler, and Ieraci, with the positions changing several times. The race wasn’t decided until the final lap. In a head-to-head duel with Ieraci, Zuda initially had to remain patient because no gap opened up. It wasn’t until after the final turn that the decisive opportunity presented itself. Zuda carried more momentum, capitalized on a gear-shifting error by the Italian, and pulled ahead while drafting. With a lead of just under a motorcycle length, he crossed the finish line as the winner. “It’s unbelievable that I managed to win the race after all. After my serious crash during my wildcard appearance in the World Championship here in Most, I almost lost a finger. The injury still hampered me significantly in Brno. That makes me all the happier now that we’re back on top of the podium here in Most of all places,” said Zuda at the award ceremony.
With this home victory, the Czech driver has regained the lead in the championship. Jakob Rosenthaler, who was unable to compete due to a leg injury, had to watch as the top spot in the standings slipped away from him once again.
Despite narrowly missing out on the win, Bruno Ieraci also finished the weekend on a high note. The World Championship rider took second place, just 0.068 seconds behind. Following his shoulder injury, he was able to make the most of his race at Most from a sporting standpoint.
Siebdath Celebrates After a Tough Saturday
Mika Siebdrath (Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing) also made history. After his race on Saturday had gone as badly as possible—with a crash in the first chicane and a fire on Jay-Jay Den Hoed’s(SWPN) motorcycle—the weekend still ended on a high note for the 17-year-old. For a long time in the second race, a podium finish didn’t seem likely, as Siebdrath was in fifth place and had lost contact with the leading group. But then Tobias Kitzbichler slid out over his front wheel, taking Ruben Bijman out of the race as well. As a result, Siebdrath inherited third place and celebrated his first podium finish in EURO MOTO. “I’m speechless and overjoyed. To be standing on the podium now after yesterday’s disaster is simply unbelievable. My stamina faded toward the end, but I fought until the very end,” said the rider from Wildenfels.
Since Tobias Kitzbichler was unable to score any points this weekend, Siebdrath moved up to third place in the overall standings. For Ruben Bijman, on the other hand, it was another bitter disappointment. The Triumph rider had set his sights high at Most and was hoping to finally claim his first victory in the Sportbike class. However, following the incident with Kitzbichler, he, too, ended up with no points.
Another Dutch driver, Kiyano Veijer (Dutch Talent Racing), finished in fourth place. For him, this was also his best result in the series so far. Alexander Weizel(AK Racing) took fifth place after a thrilling duel with Maksymilian Palmowski (SP Race Project), who ultimately finished sixth. Behind them , Julian van Kalkeren,Rick Kooistra(both SRTD Pearle Gebben Racing), Jay-Jay Den Hoed, and Tom Kuil (RT Motorsports) rounded out the top 10.
Jay-Jay Den Hoed’s comeback was also remarkable. His SWPN team, led by Frank Brouwer, had worked through the night following Saturday’s fire to get the motorcycle back in running condition in time. This required carefully removing the fire extinguisher powder from every part of the bike, which meant disassembling it down to the frame. Tom Kuil was also able to return to the race after his crash on Saturday, following a thorough check-up.
The EURO MOTO Sportbike class continues with Round 4. After a short summer break, the next race weekend is scheduled for July 31 through August 2 at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.