Most: Sportbike victory stays in the Czech Republic with Zuda, World Championship guest thwarted

The first race in the Euro Moto class on Saturday at Most was not counted towards the standings. Following two race cancellations, the race organisers decided not to schedule any further restarts. Consequently, the race will not be counted and no points will be awarded.

In the second race of the Euro Moto Sportbike class at Most on Sunday, there was indeed a winner and an official result. Unlike on Saturday, Sunday’s race – once again taking place in sweltering heat – went the full distance this time. Stepan Zuda secured victory on his home track by the narrowest of margins.

Showdown at the front in the final corner

Even the start of the second race was considerably calmer than the previous day. Stepan Zuda (Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing), who had started from pole position, initially took the lead. Behind him were Tobias Kitzbichler (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb) and Bruno Ieraci (RT Motosports), who once again played a strong role as a last-minute replacement for the injured Jakob Rosenthaler (RT Motorsports). Ruben Bijman and Mika Siebdrath (both Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing) initially rounded off the top five.

A close three-way battle quickly developed at the front. The lead kept changing hands repeatedly between Zuda, Kitzbichler and Ieraci, with the positions shifting several times. The race was finally decided on the very last lap. In a head-to-head battle with Ieraci, Zuda initially had to remain patient as no gap opened up. It was only after the final corner that the decisive opportunity presented itself. Zuda carried more momentum, capitalised on a gear-change error by the Italian and overtook him in his slipstream. With a lead of just under a motorcycle’s length, he held on to cross the finish line as the winner.

“It’s unbelievable that I managed to win the race after all. After my heavy crash during my wildcard appearance in the World Championship here in Most, I nearly lost a finger. The injury was still hampering me badly in Brno. So I’m all the happier now that we’re back on top of the podium here in Most of all places,” said Zuda at the podium ceremony.

With this home victory, the Czech rider has also reclaimed the lead in the championship. Jakob Rosenthaler, who was unable to compete due to a leg injury, was thus forced to watch as the championship lead slipped from his grasp once again. For Bruno Ieraci, the weekend also ended on a high note despite narrowly missing out on victory. The World Championship rider finished second, just 0.068 seconds behind. Following his shoulder injury, he was able to make the most of the race at Most from a sporting perspective.

Siebdrath celebrates after a tough Saturday

Mika Siebdrath (Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing) also wrote a remarkable story. After his race day on Saturday had gone as badly as possible – with a crash at the first chicane and a fire on Jay-Jay Den Hoed’s (SWPN) motorbike – the weekend still ended on a high note for the 17-year-old. For a long time in the second race, a podium finish didn’t look likely, as Siebdrath was in fifth place and had lost contact with the leading group. But then Tobias Kitzbichler skidded out over his front wheel, taking Ruben Bijman out of the race with him. Siebdrath consequently inherited third place and celebrated his first podium finish in Euro Moto. “I’m speechless and over the moon. To be on the podium now after yesterday’s disaster is simply unbelievable. My stamina faded towards the end, but I fought right to the finish,” said the rider from Wildenfels.

As Tobias Kitzbichler failed to score any points this weekend, Siebdrath also moved up to third place in the overall standings. For Ruben Bijman, however, it was another bitter experience. The Triumph rider had set his sights high at Most and was determined to finally secure his first victory in the Sportbike class. However, following the incident with Kitzbichler, he too ended up with no points.