The Bagger Racing League European Cup returns to the racetrack for the third round of the 2026 season. From September 4 to 6, the series will make a stop at the Nürburgring as part of the EURO MOTO weekend.
The European racing series for spectacular racing excavators is gearing up for one of the most anticipated weekends of the year. The starting grid for the German round is set to receive some high-profile additions. New internationally renowned riders, returning competitors, and new Harley-Davidson motorcycles will make for a top-notch lineup.
James Ellison, Maurizio Vettor, and Garijs Rožkalns Join the Team
Among the newcomers at the Nürburgring are James Ellison of Great Britain, Maurizio Vettor of Italy, and Garijs Rožkalns of Latvia. Ellison and Vettor will be racing on two new Harley-Davidsons, while Rožkalns will also be riding a Harley-Davidson for Team Spanover.
Ellison brings more than 20 years of international racing experience to the table. The two-time Superstock 1000 European Champion and 2003 Endurance World Champion has competed in MotoGP, the British Superbike Championship, and the Superbike and Supersport World Championships, among others.
Maurizio Vettor combines motorsports and communications. The Italian journalist, motorcyclist, and content creator has many years of racing experience himself on the circuit and in endurance racing, and will also be covering his debut in the Bagger Racing League European Cup for the media.
Garijs Rožkalns is a multiple Latvian and Baltic champion and the first Latvian rider to successfully complete the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race. He currently competes in the Superstock class of the FIM Endurance World Championship. At the Nürburgring, he will become the first Latvian to compete in the Bagger Racing League European Cup.
André Pires is also back on the starting grid. The Portuguese rider will be competing on a Ducati Diavel, on which he won the first race at Estoril back in 2025. His international racing experience includes appearances at the Macau Grand Prix, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, and the MotoE World Cup, among others.
Double Debut for Milan Merckelbagh
A particularly intense race weekend awaits Milan Merckelbagh. The 2024 Dutch Superbike champion is already familiar with the Bagger Racing League European Cup from Cremona, where he competed on his Harley-Davidson.
In the 2026 season, Merckelbagh will compete simultaneously with the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team in the EURO MOTO Superbike Championship. An extraordinary double start awaits him at the Nürburgring.
While he battles for points in the EURO MOTO Superbike series on his BMW, he switches to a Harley-Davidson during the same race weekend to also compete in the third round of the Bagger Racing League European Cup. Two motorcycles, two completely different racing approaches, and two championships in a single weekend make his appearance at the Nürburgring a special challenge.
International Field of Competitors at the Nürburgring
In addition to the newcomers and returning riders, the regular participants in the Bagger Racing League European Cup will also be competing. Among them are Japan’s Takeshi Ishizuka on Team Spanover’s Harley-Davidson, as well as the three Ducati riders Ruben Xaus, Andrea Tomio, and Marco Attanasio.
This brings together riders from the third round with experience in MotoGP, the World Endurance Championship, British Superbike, the Tourist Trophy, Superbike, and international road races.
This coming weekend, September 4–6, 2026, the Racing Bagger will compete in their next round as part of the EURO MOTO weekend at the Nürburgring.