Crash due to mechanical failure at Vallelunga: Tulovic ended the season with a headache

First, the good news: as things stand, Superbike rider Lukas Tulovic has escaped serious injury. However, the trip to Italy – and with it the final race of the 2026 season – did not end on a happy note. Just two weeks ago, Tulovic, riding for Team Triple M Ducati Frankfurt, was crowned the new Euro Moto Superbike champion, successfully defending his title.

The rider had deliberately decided against a lavish party following the Hockenheim finale, as early on Monday morning he set off for Rome, where he was due to line up alongside Michael Ruben Rinaldi for Team B-Max Racing at the nearby Vallelunga circuit ahead of the final race of the Italian Superbike Championship.

Vallelunga: Rain, mechanical failure, crash

The race weekend got off to a tough start on Friday with a rain-soaked free practice session. Only a handful of riders ventured onto the track. Things looked better during the two qualifying sessions on Saturday. However, Lukas Tulovic was hardly to be seen in the first race on Saturday afternoon. After the start, he only made it as far as Turn 12. Then, due to a technical fault with the B-Max Ducati, he came to a rough halt in the gravel.

At first glance, Tulovic looked shaken but uninjured. Nevertheless, he was taken to the medical centre and subsequently to the local hospital. In the end, he was declared unfit for the rest of the weekend. “If a rider lands head-first in the gravel in the CIV,” explained Tulovic’s manager, the Italian Claudio Cannizzaro, “the rules stipulate that he is not allowed to race for the rest of the weekend.” Tulovic, who is usually as steady as a rock, hasn’t seen the inside of too many medical centres or hospitals yet, but the on-site treatment was hardly up to scratch.

“That’s why I went for another check-up at a private hospital on Sunday,” reports Tulovic. “I’ve probably got a mild concussion, but nothing serious so far. My head just needs a few days to recover.”