EURO MOTO Brno: First win of 2026 for Markus Reiterberger

For the first time in the history of Euro Moto – and thus also for the first time in the long and successful history of the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team – the team travelled to the Czech Moto Grand Prix circuit in Brno. Team boss Werner Daemen had brought just three riders with him this time. The line-up included Markus Reiterberger (GER), Jan Mohr (AUT) and Milan Merckelbagh (NED). Hannes Soomer (EST) had answered the call from BMW headquarters and was standing in for the injured Danilo Petrucci at the World Superbike race in Aragon, Spain. 

Markus Reiterberger had prepared himself perfectly for the not-so-familiar circuit with an extra test session. His fan club had travelled to support him, giving the rider an extra boost of motivation. The BMW rider was among the frontrunners in all practice sessions and, after qualifying directly for Superpole 2, secured third place on the grid – a result that didn’t quite satisfy his ambition, however. “I probably messed that up myself,” he said, referring to the missed pole position. “But thanks to the team; I could have ridden better and faster, but I was simply too cautious at the start. After the rain shower during practice just before us, I wasn’t sure whether the track was dry again or still damp. So I spent a few laps dithering. When I saw the gaps to the front, I thought to myself, ‘This has to be doable,’ and quickly put in a 1:57 lap.”

 

In the first race, Markus Reiterberger, like the rest of the field, had opted for the soft tyre compound. Initially, the choice looked promising, which was reflected in a comfortable lead. In the end, however, it was the front tyre that thwarted his hopes of victory. “That was a victory thrown away,” he said matter-of-factly after finishing third. “The bike was great and I was able to attack well. I saved the rear tyre. But I hadn’t reckoned with the front tyre. For the last two laps, I was riding as if on eggshells. That’s when Marcel Schrötter got past. On the uphill section, I shifted into neutral and ended up losing another place to Florian Alt.”

 

Revenge was the clear motto for the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team in Race 2. And Reiterberger’s hunger for victory prevailed, even though he had to fight off Lukas Tulovic with everything he had in the final laps. But in the end, Reiterberger was able to celebrate with his travelling fan club. After all, his last victory in the national championship had been 3.5 years ago. “The first race was weighing on my mind,” he revealed after his victory in the afternoon. “I went for an SC2 on the rear tyre. After all, I’ve already won the championship four times with it and it’s never let me down. I did have a few problems towards the end, but I had a great bike and it was enough.”

 

Jan Mohr had once again travelled from neighbouring Austria and, following his return to the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team, is really hitting his stride with two top-ten finishes. Even though Mohr clearly wants more than just to finish in 10th and 9th place, as he did in Brno.

 

 “I was definitely in the mix,” says the Vorarlberg native, summing up his weekend in the Czech Republic. “I was eighth in pre-practice and even sixth in the third free practice session on Saturday morning. The rain shower just before Superpole 1 then threw a spanner in the works. I went out on wet tyres and, in hindsight, that was the wrong decision. Starting from 13th makes life difficult for yourself in the races.”

 

“It took a few laps before I’d fought my way up to tenth place in both races. I was then setting similar times to the guys in fifth place. But the gap to the group ahead of me was simply too big every time. In the second race, Toni Finsterbusch crashed just ahead of me, so I finished in 9th place. I’m not happy with the results, because I know there was more in it for me in practice. But that one session just didn’t go to plan. In terms of raw speed, things are going well and I want to take the next step at the next race in Most.”

 

Milan Merckelbagh demonstrated his very special talent during the opening weekend in Brno, particularly on Saturday. Shortly before the Superpole 1 practice session – in which the three fastest riders go on to compete in Superpole 2, alongside a total of nine riders, for the best starting position – a heavy rain shower had fallen over the Brno circuit, only to dry up again shortly afterwards. Exactly the kind of mixed conditions that many riders dislike so much, and for which Merckelbagh has a special talent. Even though he gave his pit crew a bit of a scare when he paid a brief visit to the gravel trap at the start of the session. But a Dutchman who’s used to the rain isn’t going to let that rattle him. With some fast laps, he made a straight run into Superpole 2. Starting from 9th on the grid, Merckelbagh began both races from the third row. However, this did not bring him any luck.

 

The Team Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW rider took two 14th-place finishes – and thus four points in the overall standings – back with him from the Czech Republic as a souvenir. In the first race, he was handed two long laps for a false start penalised by race control. This loss of time could not be made up over the distance. In Race 2, too, Merckelbagh was unable to show what he is capable of. “The start was quite good,” he said after crossing the finish line, “the first lap was also pretty strong. On the second lap, however, as I was heading into Turn 10, the brakes didn’t work properly, with the result that I didn’t get through the corner as planned and had to go through the dirt. I then tried to close the gap to the riders in front again, but it was simply too big due to the incident and I ended up back in P14.”

 

Pro Superstock 1000

As in the previous year, Werner Daemen’s team is once again competing in the Pro Superstock Cup. Belgian rider Ouri Bikkems and German rider Julius Ilmberger Jr. had extended their contracts, with German rider Manuel Schoewer joining the team.

 

Ouri Bikkems impressed in the opening race with two fourth-place finishes. “We’re very happy with the progress we’ve made over the last few days,” he explained afterwards. “The hard work has paid off, and we were able to hold our own at the front throughout the races. Race 1 was a neck-and-neck battle right down to the final metres, and I finished fourth, just 0.093 seconds behind third place.

 The gaps were incredibly small, which shows just how strong the field is. The only downside was a small mistake in Race 2, which cost us valuable time. Without that mistake, a podium finish would definitely have been within reach. Nevertheless, there are many positives to take away, and we’ve shown that we have the pace to compete right at the front. We’ll take the positives with us, learn from the small mistakes and come back even stronger. We’re staying positive and are already looking forward to the next round at Most. Let’s carry this momentum forward!

 

Manuel Schoewer was already active in the IDM Superbike a few years ago, but hadn’t taken part in any competitions in recent years. Now he has made an impressive comeback with two fifth-place finishes in the highly competitive Pro Superstock 1000. “The races went really well,” he said, delighted with his successful comeback, “I was able to improve during the races and even set my fastest laps at the end. It’s good to know I’m competitive.”

 

Julius Ilmberger Jr. made no secret of his feelings after two 14th-place finishes: “No, I’m actually not happy with the result. Basically, things went OK; the qualifying time of 2:02.8 was my fastest lap ever at Brno, even if it wasn’t quite enough for the very best starting position overall. In the first race I had a good start and a solid pace, but unfortunately a minor technical issue on the final lap – which, in hindsight, turned out to be harmless – threw me off and cost me a few places; otherwise I could have achieved more. The second race started well, but I’d chosen the wrong front tyre for the temperatures, so it didn’t last the distance and I lost some of the positions I’d fought for at the start over the final three laps. It’s a shame the results don’t reflect the team’s potential and performance, but I’m confident things will go much better at Most.”

 

Most, also located in the Czech Republic, is the next and third round for the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team. Until then, the Euro Moto series will take a four-week break, with racing resuming from 26 to 28 May 2026.

Euro Moto Superbike Qualifying

1. 1.56,965 min Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
2. 1.57,438 min Florian Alt (D/Honda)
3. 1.57,870 min Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
9. 2.01,560 min Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)
13. 2.22,064 min Jan Mohr (A/BMW)

Euro Moto Superbike Race 1

1. Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
2. Florian Alt (D/Honda)
3. Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
10. Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
14. Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)

Euro Moto Superbike Race 2

1. Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
2. Lukas Tulovic (D/Ducati)
3. Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
9. Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
14. Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)

Euro Moto Superbike Standings after 2 our of 14 races

1. 79 Punkte Lukas Tulovic (D/Ducati)
2. 74 Punkte Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
3. 67 Punkte Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
9. 29 Punkte Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
11. 23 Punkte Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
15. 7 Punkte Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)

 

Gallery

Check out all of the race photos on the photos page

Photos by Damon Teerink