EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW Team arrives with new title 

 

The season just started a few months ago in Oschersleben and the final of the International German Motorcycle Championship at the Hockenheimring is just around the corner. The EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team comes to Hockenheim with one crying and one laughing eye, because last weekend Werner Daemen’s BMW factory team had to give up the fight for the Bol d’Or in the endurance world championship after seven and a half hours due to a technical problem. However, the chances for another title in the German championship with regular rider Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) are very good. After the title competitor Valentin Debise (FRA) announced yesterday that he will not take part in the IDM final, the title is certain, but the EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team would like to wait for the last two races of the season and finish those well before bursting into jubilation.

 

Not only Mikhalchik is highly motivated for the season finale on one of his favorite tracks, Jan Mohr (AUT) can hardly wait to get back on his BMW M 1000 RR, because he took part in a private test at the race track only a week ago. Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NED) hopes that he can end the season with a conciliatory result, having had a bit of bad luck in the last few races and was unable to exploit his full potential on board of the BMW. After finishing 15th at the Red Bull Ring, Tim Eby wants to take home at least one point from the Hockenheimring. For the local hero from Blumberg it is his home race and he hopes that this time he can take home some better memories than before the 2020 season when he crashed on this track. After the penultimate round in Austria, this should not fail in terms of motivation.

 

It is part of the tradition of Germany’s highest road racing series to choose one’s champions at the end of the season at the Hockenheimring. And if everything goes well, Ilya Mikhalchik will be the top rider from the EGS-alpa-Van Zon-BMW team again in 2021. We are all pleased that spectators will again be admitted to the season finale. In compliance with the 3G rules (recovered, vaccinated, tested), the spectators can cheer the full starting field of the individual IDM classes from the grandstands, but a visit to the paddock is also possible again this year. Numerous motorcycle manufacturers will take this opportunity and offer their motorcycles for test rides. Tickets are available at: https://www.eventimsports.de/ols/hockenheimring/de/tickets/channel/shop/index

And if you can’t be there, you can simply watch the races again in the highly professional livestream on the series’ website or on the social media channels on Facebook and YouTube.

You can find more information about the series at www.idm.de.

 
Ilya Mikhalchik, #37:

“We’re coming to Hockenheim with a very good lead. Of course I’ll do my best until the end, that’s how I always do it. I know the track very well. The weather here can be tricky at times, especially in late September. Last year I had a nice fight with Jonas (Folger) here, but I had problems with the tyres and I hope that won’t be the case this year. BMW has done a really good job eliminating this problem and I have a much better feeling with the tyres in general this year. For me this is now a good training session to prepare for the season finale of the EWC and I am looking forward to it. I am very happy to have the title in my pocket again and to have won one of the most competitive seasons of this championship again, but I want to focus on the last two races now. Then we can celebrate.”
Jan Mohr, #5:

“Last week we were training with a very small team at Hockenheim. Our pace was good so I’m confident we can be strong this weekend. I’m looking forward to going full throttle on my BMW M 1000 RR for the last time this season.”
Pepijn Bijsterbosch, #55:

“Now the season is over again and next weekend is already Hockenheim. I hope that we will have good pace there and that the problems that restricted us at the Red Bull Ring are finally over. Our speed is not that bad and I also feel good on the bike, which is a good base. Now I’m hoping for good results at Hockenheim in order to end the season well.”
Tim Eby, #17:

“I am really very motivated for the coming weekend. I got along really well at the last round at the Red Bull Ring and got my best result so far there. If you consider how big the field in Spielberg was, then 15th place is really good. I was much faster than usual. I had a lot of fun and of course was extra motivated. Hockenheim is my home race, which increases my motivation even more. I really feel like it and hope that the weather will play along and that it is not as cold as last year. I will definitely give everything again this weekend.”
Werner Daemen, Team Manager:

“After the disappointment of last weekend, I’m now looking forward to the Hockenheimring. The races there are always exciting and our boys have prepared well for the last weekend of the IDM season 2021. We have already won the championship title with Ilya for the third time, so to speak, but you shouldn’t praise the day before the evening, so we’re looking forward to exciting races for now. Jan tested here last week and knows the track and can achieve a good result too. Pepijn will continue to work on the feeling with the motorcycle. It hasn’t gone so well for, because he can do a lot more than he has been able to show so far. Tim is very motivated with the Hockenheimring as his home track and especially after the good result in Spielberg, so I trust him that he can improve again next weekend. In the BCC Racing Team, which is our satellite team, Markus Reiterberger can achieve quite a good end result with the right tactics. We keep our fingers crossed for him too.”