Stepan Zuda remains the man to beat in the EURO MOTO Sportbike class. The Czech rider won the first race after the four-week summer break in Oschersleben in commanding fashion, ahead of Tobias Kitzbichler. Behind them, Jules Bercot delivered another standout performance for the ERC Team, bringing the Kawasaki to the podium for the first time this season with a third-place finish.
Zuda (Freudenberg RoRa-Paligo Racing) got off to a good start from pole position and held onto the lead ahead of Kitzbichler (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb). Behind them, the action was much more chaotic. Jakob Rosenthaler (RT Motosports), in particular, made up ground early on in Most during his comeback after an injury-related break. Starting from tenth on the grid, the Austrian moved up to seventh place on the very first lap and then continued to work his way forward, position by position.
At the front, however, Zuda set the pace. Kitzbichler initially stayed right on the championship leader’s tail and didn’t let the Czech rider pull away. “I pushed until the very end because Tobias was right on my heels,” Zuda explained after the race. And the Polish rider certainly still had some reserves left: “I still had something up my sleeve if things had gotten really tough.”
In the end, Zuda didn't need it. In the final quarter of the race, Kitzbichler began to experience increasing problems with his rear tire and could no longer keep up with the pace. Zuda pulled away and crossed the finish line after 13 laps with a lead of 1.944 seconds. The Czech driver also set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:31.025 minutes.
Kitzbichler Is Still Waiting for His First Win
Once again, Kitzbichler had to settle for second place. The Austrian had stayed right on Zuda’s heels for a long time, but wasn’t really satisfied with his race. “The rear grip just wasn’t optimal today. That made it very difficult for me to stay with the leaders. In the final laps, the tires were simply too worn, so I didn’t have any options left,” explained Kitzbichler, who is still waiting for his first win of the season.
Behind the leading duo, however, a close battle unfolded for the final spot on the podium. Rosenthaler continued his comeback and had actually worked his way up to third place by the midpoint of the race. After his injury layoff, however, the 24-year-old lost some ground again as the race progressed and fell back.
Jules Bercot was among those who benefited from this. The Frenchman struggled at the start but found his footing as the race progressed. “I had a few problems at the beginning of the race, but then I gradually found my rhythm and was able to drive consistently,” said the ERC driver.
It paid off. Bercot fought his way up from eighth on the grid and moved into third place for the first time on lap seven. After several position changes, he ultimately crossed the finish line in third place on his Kawasaki, securing ERC’s first podium finish of the season.
At first, the race had actually looked even more promising for ERC. The three Kawasakis ridden by Sasha de Vits, Jules Bercot, and Felix Kauertz found themselves well ahead in the field during the early stages. De Vits, in particular, had excellent prospects for a strong finish after starting from third on the grid. But on lap three, the Belgian barely managed to avoid a highside and then headed for the pits with what appeared to be a technical problem. Although he later rejoined the race, with a three-lap deficit, his chance at a top finish was gone. He ultimately finished in 21st place.
A close battle for the spots just off the podium
Behind Bercot, the finish was incredibly close. Ruben Bijman (Freudenberg RoRa-Paligo Racing) secured fourth place, just 0.373 seconds behind the Frenchman. Rosenthaler followed in fifth, a mere 0.069 seconds behind. Mika Siebdrath (Freudenberg RoRa-Paligo Racing) rounded out the tightly contested group in sixth place. The gap between third and sixth place at the finish line was just 0.650 seconds.
Kiyano Veijer (Dutch Racing) finished seventh ahead of Julian van Kalkeren (SRTD Pearle Gebben Racing) and Alexander Weizel (AK Racing). ERC reserve driver Felix Kauertz also put on a strong comeback during his last-minute debut. After initially failing to qualify that morning, he was granted permission to start the race. Starting from 21st position, he surged up to 10th place on the very first lap and even held seventh place at one point. In the end, Kauertz finished 10th and earned six championship points.
EURO MOTO Sportbike, Race 1
- Stepan ZUDA (#23/CZE), Triumph Daytona 660
- Tobias KITZBICHLER (#38/AUT), Aprilia RS660
- Jules BERCOT (#25/FRA), Kawasaki Ninja ZX 6R
- Ruben BIJMAN (#17/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Jakob ROSENTHALER (#78/AUT), Triumph Daytona 660
- Mika SIEBDRATH (#98/GER), Triumph Daytona 660
- Kiyano VEIJER (#53/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Julian VAN KALKEREN (#34/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Alexander WEIZEL (#22/GER), Aprilia RS660
- Felix KAUERTZ (#37/GER), Kawasaki Ninja ZX 6R
- Tom KUIL (#55/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Maksymilian PALMOWSKI (#95/POL), Aprilia RS660
- Luis RAMMERSTORFER (#13/AUT), Triumph Daytona 660
- Micky WINKLER (#86/GER), Aprilia RS660
- Rick KOOISTRA (#20/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Jay Jay DEN HOED (#44/NLD), Yamaha YZF R7
- Magnus KRISTOFFERSEN (#30/DNK), Aprilia RS660
- Max STAUFFER (#27/AUS), Yamaha YZF R7
- Ty HENRIKSEN (#46/DNK), Aprilia RS660
- Lucas SØRENSEN (#18/DNK), Aprilia RS660
- Sasha DE VITS (#19/BEL), Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R