Euro Moto Sachsenring: No Easy Ride on the GP Circuit

The Euro Moto riders—who until last year competed under the name IDM—had to wait a long time before the hunt for points finally resumed in Germany’s top-tier motorcycle racing series. Belgian team manager Werner Daemen’s team has once again gathered a strong quartet in the Superbike class for his Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team: Markus Reiterberger (GER), Hannes Soomer (EST), Jan Mohr (AUT), and Milan Merckelbagh (NED). Last weekend saw the first showdown on the GP circuit at the Sachsenring.

Markus Reiterberger is a seasoned veteran of the Euro Moto series. He has already finished the predecessor series, the IDM, as champion four times, and this year the Bavarian is once again among the potential title contenders. At the Sachsenring, however, the BMW rider first had to find his bearings again. “I’ve been a guest at the Sachsenring more than once in recent years,” he said, “but the last time I actually raced here was 13 years ago.” On Friday, persistent drizzle made life even harder for the riders, and even the usually steady Reiterberger slid out during the second free practice session and had to complete an extra lap in Superpole 1 on Saturday before securing third place on the grid in the final session, Superpole 2. “To be honest, I haven’t quite gotten used to the stock bike yet,” admitted the BMW rider, who remains one of the top riders in the Endurance World Championship to this day. “That’s why the extra 15 minutes of practice come in handy.”

After a rather mediocre start to the first race, Reiterberger had to really dig in. “I eventually found my rhythm despite the harder front tire.” His teammate Hannes Soomer proved to be a tough nut to crack when it came to overtaking. In the double left-handers, however, the Bavarian was ultimately able to get the better of the Estonian and cross the finish line in third place. Reiterberger couldn’t find a way past his Bavarian compatriot Marcel Schrötter. “The tires were pretty slippery in the second half of the race,” Reiterberger added. “A podium finish is damage control, so everything’s fine. We need to keep working; I still don’t feel 100 percent comfortable, so we still have a lot of potential. We’ll work our way forward step by step.”

But that plan didn’t pan out in the second Sachsenring race. While things went somewhat similarly to the morning session at the start, Markus Reiterberger had to take a significant hit toward the end of the race. “There are days when you lose,” was his sober analysis. “The Ducati was gone right away, but my start was okay. I got stuck behind Hannes Soomer for a long time again; he’s just very strong on the brakes. I was probably the only one who opted for an SC2 tire up front, since my front tire had already worn out quickly in practice. I couldn’t ride the way I wanted to, and it was pumping badly. But it is what it is. Either the bike has to suit me better, or I have to adapt better.”

Hannes Soomer had extended his contract with the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team early on, but he almost missed the first mandatory Euro Moto Superbike riders’ meeting at the Sachsenring. However, he was spared the 100-euro fine that would have been imposed for skipping it. “I arrived at the Sachsenring about 30 seconds before it started.” He traveled from his home country of Estonia to Germany via Helsinki. In the Finnish capital, however, he missed his connecting flight and had to make his way to Saxony via a detour. He, too, is competing in the World Endurance Championship alongside the Euro Moto series on behalf of manufacturer BMW. “But you can’t really compare the bikes,” he reveals, “you have to readjust every time. But my Euro Moto bike is definitely faster than last year.” After setting the fastest time in the rainy first Friday practice session, he secured second place on the grid in Superpole 2, just behind pole-setter and longtime rival Lukas Tulovic.

After finishing fourth in Race 1, the Estonian wasn’t really in a celebratory mood. He had battled Marcel Schrötter and his teammate Markus Reiterberger for a podium spot over the entire distance, but ultimately came up short in the end. “Everything was perfect,” he describes the start of the race, “but two laps before the finish, my rear tire was done.” For the afternoon race, he immediately issued a challenge to his rivals. “Everything will be put to the test again,” he promised, “the setup, the tuning, and myself.”

His success in Race 2 proved him right. “It was the opposite of Race 1,” he explained after collecting the trophy for third place at the podium ceremony. “Since my tire was pretty worn out by the end of Race 1, I saved a little something for Race 2. That’s why I was still fast at the end. Maybe I was a little too cautious. Twan Smits was too far ahead of me. But I’m happy with the podium. Plus, today is Mother’s Day and my mom is here at the Sachsenring. So now I have a present for her after all.”

Jan Mohr is back with the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team after a two-year hiatus and aims to regain his former form there. “After the test sessions, I feel well-prepared,” he assured. “First in Valencia and then in Oschersleben—that went very well. Plus, I like the Sachsenring; I enjoy racing counter-clockwise. Of course, it won’t be easy. With the return of Markus Reiterberger and the arrival of Marcel Schrötter, the level of the series has risen once again. But that’s a step in the right direction. With these two fast guys, the already strong field of riders has become even stronger.” The races at the Sachsenring then started from 12th on the grid for the Austrian.

In Race 1, he got off to a good start right from the beginning and worked his way toward the top ten. “I was also able to close in on the group ahead of me with Florian Alt and Toni Finsterbusch,” reported the Austrian. “My start could have gone better. It was difficult to find the right setup due to the changing conditions. I had problems with the front tire in particular and, starting from the fifth or sixth lap, had to brake earlier in some places and experienced a lot of movement on the bike. But I’m quite satisfied.” There was also praise afterward from team boss Daemen. “He did well. In the final laps, he was as fast as the top riders.”

Werner Daemen could have repeated that praise after the second race. Because while the times in the chasing group were dropping, Jan Mohr was able to maintain his pace until the end. However, the Austrian struggled against the Hungarian Soma Görbe. “I wasn’t really within striking distance,” Mohr said after crossing the finish line in twelfth place. “So I couldn’t really attack him. In terms of how it felt—and unfortunately also in terms of the problems—it was similar to this morning. But I’m sure of one thing: I’m not far off.”

Milan Merckelbagh may be another year older, but in his second year with the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team, he’s once again the youngest member. Though he now has a year more of experience. The Dutchman is steadfastly holding on to his ambitious goal of one day becoming one of the top riders in Euro Moto. “I like training in the rain,” he explained on Friday, but like his teammates, he was happy about the dry conditions on Saturday. “I feel at home in the team,” he assured. “I know everyone, and the atmosphere is great. My goal of finishing in the top 8 and eventually the top 5 hasn’t gotten any easier. It’s definitely tougher than last year. And I urgently need to keep working on my qualifying, because I’m usually better in the race.”

The races on Sunday started from 14th on the grid, a position that didn’t quite make him happy. “I had problems with the bike in Superpole, which was also reflected in the lap times. It’s a real shame that things didn’t go my way,” he commented. He didn’t want to say much after the first race either. The ambitious Merckelbagh had finished in 15th place and wasn’t satisfied with that. “Ask me again after Race 2,” he requested, “maybe things will go better there.” But the young Dutchman’s wish didn’t come true. Even though he moved up one spot to 14th at the finish, the BMW rider wasn’t in a celebratory mood. “Yes, it was better,” he said. “But just not good enough,” he concluded. “I’m definitely not satisfied. It was similar to this morning, and I had problems especially when turning into the corners.”

After the stop at the Sachsenring, the journey continues straight to the next Grand Prix track on the Euro Moto calendar: Brno, Czech Republic. On the last weekend in May, the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team will continue its quest to collect points.

 

Euro Moto Superbike Qualifying

1. 1.22,073 min Lukas Tulovic (D/Ducati)
2. 1.22,356 min Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
3. 1.22,518 min Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
12. 1.23,863 min Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
14. 1.24,477 min Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)

Euro Moto Superbike Race 1

1. Lukas Tulovic (D/Ducati)
2. Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
3. Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
4. Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
10. Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
15. Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)

Euro Moto Superbike Race 2

1. Lukas Tulovic (D/Ducati)
2. Twan Smits (NL/Yamaha)
3. Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
6. Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
12. Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
14. Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)

Euro Moto Superbike Standings after 2 our of 14 races

1. 50 Points Lukas Tulovic (D/Ducati)
2. 33 Points Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
3. 30 Points Twan Smits (NL/Yamaha)
4. 29 Points Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
5. 26 Points Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
11. 10 Points Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
14. 3 Points Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)

 

Gallery

Check out all of the race photos on the photos page

Photos by Damon Teerink