BRL European Cup: Xaus Sweeps the Board, Baggers Thrill the Crowd

They weren’t the fastest on the track, but they were certainly hard to miss: The Bagger Racing European Cup made its debut at the Nürburgring as part of EURO MOTO and drew attention with its powerful sound, impressive motorcycles, and two races that kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the very end. Round three of the European Bagger Series thus became a very special addition to the race weekend in the Eifel.

Even off the track, the heavy race bikes drew attention. Time and again, people pulled out their cell phones to take photos, and once they were on the track, it became clear what makes this series so special. Watching the riders maneuver the heavy, powerful motorcycles through the curves of the 3.618-kilometer-long Nürburgring left many spectators in awe.

Things really heated up on the track during Saturday’s qualifying session. Andrea Tomio (Atomico Racing Team) came out on top on his Ducati Diavel with a lap time of 1:37.874 minutes, securing pole position. Just 0.582 seconds behind him was event organizer and rider Ruben Xaus (XDiavel Bagger Team). André Pires, also on a Ducati, rounded out the front row.

The planned double launch has been canceled

However, not all of the excavators originally scheduled for the weekend made it to the races. Some machines failed the technical inspection or were not fully operational due to technical problems.

Milan Merckelbagh was also affected by this. The Dutch rider had actually set his sights high for the Nürburgring. In addition to his races in the EURO MOTO Superbike series, he also wanted to compete in the Bagger Racing League. Merckelbagh was already familiar with the series from Cremona and was supposed to switch between his BMW and a Harley-Davidson at the Nürburgring. But that didn’t happen. While he was able to compete in his EURO MOTO Superbike races, his Bagger wasn’t race-ready, and the announced double start was canceled.

Xaus strikes back in the final lap

Xaus and Tomio were the ones who really kept things exciting on Saturday night. Xaus took the lead, but he couldn't shake off his Italian rival. Tomio stayed close and waited for his chance.

It happened on the penultimate lap. Tomio took the lead and suddenly had an excellent chance at his first win of the weekend. But Xaus struck back. On the final lap, the former Superbike World Championship rider reclaimed the lead and held on to a razor-thin advantage as he crossed the finish line. The margin after eight laps: just 0.290 seconds.

Behind Xaus and Tomio, Pires rounded out the all-Ducati podium in third place. Takeshi Ishizuka (Spanover Bagger Racing Team) was the top Harley-Davidson rider, finishing fourth, followed by James Ellison (Johny Maracas Bagger Racing Team). Marco Attanasio (Attanasio Racing Team) took sixth place on his Ducati.

A Scary Moment Just Before Race 2

On Sunday, the Baggers caused a moment of alarm even before the start of the second race. Andreas Schäfer crashed on the second warm-up lap and injured his leg. As a result, the German was unable to start the race. He was listed as DNS in the results.

After that, the focus shifted back to the race, and the second race proved to be just as thrilling as the first. This time, three riders were in the mix for the lead. Pires got off to the best start and led for the first two laps. On lap three, Tomio took the lead and held it for two laps. Starting on lap five, Xaus was back in the lead.

But once again, Tomio wouldn't be shaken off. The outcome remained uncertain right up to the checkered flag. In the end, it was even closer than on Saturday: Only 0.157 seconds separated Xaus and Tomio at the finish line. Pires followed in third place, 6.099 seconds behind.

The fact that the victory was by no means due to Xaus's clear dominance in terms of pace was also evident from the fastest lap of the race. Tomio set the fastest lap with a time of 1:36.902 minutes. Xaus clocked a time of 1:36.973 minutes.

And while the battle for hundredths of a second raged at the front, the Baggers further back provided a scene that only this racing series could produce: Maurizio Vettor (Johny Maracas Bagger Racing Team) had the right lid of his rear trunk pop open while he was riding. The Italian didn't let that slow him down and brought his Harley-Davidson across the finish line in eighth place.

Xaus: “We put on a good show.”

With two wins under his belt, Xaus then gave a positive assessment of his weekend at the Nürburgring. “We really enjoyed the race weekend here at the Nürburgring. The races went well,” explained the series’ founder.

Xaus did not attribute his second-place finish in the second race solely to his speed: “My victory in the second race was mainly due to my experience and not to the fact that I was faster. A little luck always plays a role, but so do skill and experience.”

Above all, however, Xaus was thrilled to have the opportunity to present the Bagger Racing European Cup to the EURO MOTO audience. “Thank you to EURO MOTO and the Nürburgring for letting us be here, and of course to the many spectators who came out. I think we put on a good show for the audience. We’re always learning more, but I think our races are exciting and entertaining.”

Two races, two close finishes, and plenty of curious glances in the paddock: The Baggers’ appearance at the Nürburgring had a character all its own. And even though, on paper, these heavy machines couldn’t keep up with the lap times of the fastest EURO MOTO classes, they were anything but easy to overlook or ignore this weekend.

Excavator Racing European Cup, Race 2