Jakob Rosenthaler experiences a tough Sunday in Assen after a great Saturday

The changeable weather conditions made for difficult circumstances during the Euro Moto Sportbike qualifying session on Saturday morning in Assen. Due to the rain, the second qualifying session did not go as hoped, and Jakob Rosenthaler, having recovered from injury, started both races from fifth on the grid.

He returned from the first lap in fifth place and joined the leading group. This position remained unchanged throughout the race, and in the end he finished third behind Ruben Bijman and World Championship guest rider Jeffrey Buis, who did not score any points. This put him one place ahead of his closest rival in the title race, Stepan Zuda. With Saturday’s victory, he had reduced the gap to the Czech rider by three points.

Am Samstag lief es für den Östreicher (re.) noch gut

Foto: Teerink

“It hasn’t been an easy time over the last two months,” he says of his injury lay-off. “Coming back at Oschersleben wasn’t easy, as I was still struggling with pain. Here in Assen, it’s almost gone. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the best of Fridays, with a rather heavy crash. Now, with this podium finish, there’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel again.”

Sunday proved less successful for the team. Rosenthaler unfortunately crashed during the warm-up. In Race 2, the same scenario played out, meaning he was unable to finish the race as planned. Rosenthaler went into the second race 40 points behind the leader, Zuda, in the standings. But after just a few corners, his dream of a podium finish was already over. The Austrian had crashed, and Buis had even flown over the Triumph. Rosenthaler was unable to continue the race. Stepan Zuda, on the other hand, picked up a further 16 points.

Following the weekend at the TT Circuit Assen, Jakob Rosenthaler currently lies in fourth place in the championship. “To keep his title hopes alive, a strong and successful weekend at the Nürburgring is crucial,” is the team’s motto.