Euro Moto News: A loose handlebar, panic and the search for the night watchman

All the riders and teams are battling bravely through the brutal heat, with track temperatures often breaking the 60-degree mark. In the Sportbike class, a Yamaha catches fire, whilst in the Supersport class, the Yamaha R9 secures Euro Moto’s first victory.

MotoGP ticket prize draw

“This is the fans’ big chance,” explain the Euro Moto organisers on the euromoto.racing website. “As part of the advance ticket sales for the Euro Moto events in Oschersleben, Assen, the Nürburgring and Hockenheim, we’re holding a prize draw for members of the public to win exclusive tickets for the MotoGP World Championship from 10 to 12 July 2026 at the Sachsenring. The prize draw includes:

To enter the prize draw, interested parties must purchase a ticket for one of the 2026 Euro Moto events via the website https://tickets.euromoto.racing/ (23:59) via the website https://tickets.euromoto.racing/. Upon completion of the booking, they will automatically be entered into the prize draw.”

No Sportbike points

The first Euro Moto Sportbike race on Saturday in Most was not counted towards the standings. Following two race interruptions, the race organisers decided not to schedule any further restarts. Consequently, the race will not be counted and no points will be awarded. An incident occurred early on in the first race. Dutch rider Jay-Jay Den Hoed (SWPN) crashed into the rear of Mika Siebdrath’s (Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing) bike in the chicane. Both riders crashed and slid across the tarmac; Den Hoed’s Yamaha also caught fire.

After the interruption, the race was restarted over seven laps. However, once again, the race did not last long. Further back, there was another collision, this time between Tom Kuil (RT Motorsports) and Louis Rammerstorfer (Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing). As a result, the red flag was displayed for a second time. The race directors subsequently decided not to restart the race again. (Source: Rowena Hinzmann)

No special treatment

Marvin Siebdrath is the drivers’ representative in the Euro Moto Supersport class and, during a meeting yesterday, spoke out against shortening the race distances due to the heat, as did his colleagues from the Euro Moto Superbike (Toni Finsterbusch) and Sportbike (Micky Winkler) classes. That remains the case. “The temperatures are borderline. It’s no fun to ride. But we’re involved in competitive sport here, and that isn’t always fun. And all the riders are facing the same conditions.”

Setback for Blin

Up until now, the record of Poland’s Daniel Blin of Team AF Automarket had been flawless. The Ducati rider had four starts, four wins and the championship lead to his name. But by Saturday, that glory was already a thing of the past. In the first qualifying session, Blin crashed and managed only one timed lap. He had to start Saturday’s race from 16th on the grid. Anyone hoping for a comeback was left disappointed. After the start, the Ducatis ridden by Blin and his Swiss team-mate Marcel Brenner proved not to be very heat-resistant. Both riders’ lap times plummeted dramatically. Brenner managed to salvage 7th place, whilst Blin finished in 13th after his left handlebar stem had also come loose. Race winner Dirk Geiger took the lead in the championship standings.

A brief moment of panic

When, on top of the scorching heat in Most, a rival’s motorbike bursts into flames, things can get even hotter. Mika Siebdrath had been overtaken by Jay Jay den Hoed shortly after the start of the first Sportbike race. Den Hoed’s Yamaha caught fire as it skidded across the tarmac; Siebdrath’s Triumph came to a halt in the midst of this rather unusual bonfire, with Siebdrath’s leg trapped between the two bikes. “I panicked completely for a moment,” he explained after returning unharmed to the Freudenberg pit. He’d managed to free himself from the predicament under his own steam. Meanwhile, den Hoed had, gesticulating wildly, alerted the marshals with the fire extinguishers.

Night watchmen wanted

“Calling all night owls,” say the operators of the Sachsenring. “For the Liqui Moly Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany at the Sachsenring (10 to 12 July), we’re still looking for energetic support for the night shifts from Wednesday to Saturday and from Thursday to Sunday. Your efforts will ensure that Germany’s biggest single sporting event runs smoothly, and you’ll be part of a unique motorsport weekend.” Full details are available directly from the Sachsenring.

Another team

Normally, either Florian Alt or Lukas Tulovic sits at the expert’s microphone for Sky’s MotoGP coverage. However, as the Euro Moto in Most is taking place at the same time as the MotoGP in Assen this weekend, the two Superbike riders are unable to attend. Instead, Luca Grünwald, a former track colleague, will be sitting alongside presenter Eddie Mielke at the Sky microphone.