Most: Czech national anthem thanks to Zuda, Sportbike long-distance duel with Rosenthaler

Air temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius and track temperatures exceeding 65 degrees turned the Euro Moto weekend in Most, the Czech Republic, into a real battle against the heat. Both riders and equipment were pushed to their limits throughout the entire race weekend. Nevertheless, the Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing team returns home satisfied with a win, a third place and a wealth of important development data.

With its four sportbike riders – Stepan Zuda, Ruben Bijman, Mika Siebdrath and Luis Rammerstorfer – the Saxon team was already in excellent form during the free practice sessions. Riding the Triumph Daytona 660, the quartet proved competitive right from the start. Zuda and Bijman, in particular, established themselves in the leading group early on and underlined their ambitions for the weekend. Qualifying also went almost perfectly: Zuda secured pole position in front of his home crowd. Behind him, Ruben Bijman in 4th, Mika Siebdrath in 5th and Luis Rammerstorfer in 6th rounded off a consistently strong team result.

Race abandoned on Saturday

The first race on Saturday was also held in extreme weather conditions. However, two race interruptions within a very short space of time led to the race being abandoned prematurely. No points were awarded to any of the drivers. A sigh of relief in Austria for Jakob Rosenthaler, who had to sit out due to injury and could only watch as his rivals sought to chip away at his lead at the top of the standings.

Home victory for Stepan Zuda

On Sunday at midday, even more extreme conditions awaited the riders. To alleviate the strain somewhat, water was constantly being distributed and sprayed around the track and in the pit lane. Nevertheless, the race demanded everything from everyone involved. Unfazed by this, Zuda put in a strong performance. The Czech rider battled in the leading group for the entire distance and celebrated an emotional victory on his home circuit in front of his home crowd.

His team-mate Ruben Bijman was also well placed in the leading group, but was forced to retire early following a crash through no fault of his own. Mika Siebdrath provided the next highlight. With a consistently strong performance, the young German finished third, securing a one-two finish for Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing and his first Euro Moto podium. Luis Rammerstorfer lost valuable time after running off into the gravel, but kept fighting and crossed the line in 13th place.

“We’ve been battling these extreme conditions all weekend,” Zuda also had to admit. “I tried to cool down as best I could so that I’d be fit for the sessions. From practice right through to qualifying, we found something else that really suited me. I felt great in both races and knew I could fight for the win. Winning here at home is simply brilliant. Thanks to Carsten and my team – they’ve done a brilliant job.”

Incidentally, this also saw him take the lead in the championship standings. But Rosenthaler is hot on his heels. At the end of the month, they plan to continue their title battle, this time on the track.