Euro Moto riders return after the 24-hour EWC Bol d’Or Final

At Le Castellet, a dozen riders who have already proved their worth in the Euro Moto this year were once again on the starting grid for numerous teams in the World Endurance Championship. Markus Reiterberger will arrive at the Euro Moto finale in Hockenheim this coming weekend with a world championship title under his belt. Reactions from France:

Markus Reiterberger – BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

“Can someone please pinch me?”

Marcel Schrötter – ERC Endurance #6

“Unfortunately, it was a tough race right from the start. Lots of niggling problems, lots of pit stops – and yet we fought our way back from 46th place after an hour to 6th. It was all for nothing, though, as we had to retire two hours before the end of the race. Many thanks to everyone at Team ERC for your hard work and perseverance. A big thank you to my team-mates Loris Baz and Jan-Ole Jähnig, who gave their all throughout the race and set a fast pace. Many thanks also to Sasha De Vits, our reserve rider, who was there all night to help out as well.”

Hannes Soomer – Autorace UBE Racing Team

“There won’t be a Bol d’Or for me this year. After riding in practice, I decided not to take part in the race. Due to the injuries sustained in the crash at Suzuka, my body isn’t yet ready for a 24-hour race at a competitive level. It’s a shame to end my EWC season like this, but there’s nothing we can do to change the situation. I wish my team-mates the best of luck and will be supporting them right through to the finish.”

Luca de Vleeschauwer – 3Art Best of Bike Hamaguchi

“A podium finish at the World Championship. I still can hardly believe it. I’ve finally reached a milestone I’ve been striving for for so long. My results over the last few months haven’t exactly been stunning, and that, combined with an uncertain future, made me seriously doubt my abilities and whether all the hard work behind the scenes was even worth it. But one thing is certain: I’ll be back to experience even more of this. I’d like to thank the entire 3ART Best of Bike Hamaguchi racing team from the bottom of my heart. They really gave it their all and didn’t make a single mistake throughout the entire race. A huge thank you also goes to my team-mates for their performance. What a team – with Loic Arbel, Lucas Mahias and Robin Mulhauser. A huge thank you also to my sponsors – without them, I would have had to watch the race from home.”

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Bálint Kovács – HERT Champion powered by MRP

“EWC Superstock World Cup silver medal. At first glance, it might look like a missed opportunity for first place, but anyone who has even the slightest insight into the work we’ve put into this project knows that this is a well-deserved second place. The Bol d’Or is never easy; the 1.8 km straight is a real challenge for these motorbikes, and unfortunately you can’t expect a race here to go off without a hitch. Much like at the 8-hour race at Spa, we once again led the race comfortably; in the 8-hour race standings, we secured the maximum ten points – everything ran like clockwork, with the team and riders carrying out their duties flawlessly. I’d like to point out that we finished the season under race conditions without a single crash, but as this is a technical sport, it’s not just about the people. At dawn, a technical fault cost us almost 1.5 hours, but I no longer regard that as lost time; rather, it’s a miracle that these lads with the ‘golden hands’ – who later suffered burns – brought our motorbike back to life, allowing it to run for another half a day afterwards. What’s more, it was a bloody tough race even as a rider; I completed 10.5 stints, around 250 laps. It hurts, but it’s all for the finish line. I cannot thank the team and my team-mates enough – we never gave up. Of course, we may be disappointed, as we lost two races whilst leading, but if we hadn’t fought, we would have missed out on this silver medal too. Many thanks to the HERT and MRP co-production for this opportunity. I’d also like to congratulate the BMW works team on winning the world championship.”

Soma Görbe – Team Tecmas Minerva Oil

“The 2026 season is officially over. It’s a shame it ended this way. Unfortunately, we had to retire from the race due to an engine failure. Our pace was strong right from the start and we were working our way up the field. I’d like to pay a huge tribute to all the members of our crew who work round the clock behind the scenes just to get every detail perfect. This season has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I’m really glad the team believed in me even during the tough times, when some people around me didn’t. Three months before this race, I hadn’t even ridden a Superbike at all due to financial difficulties. In the meantime, I’d almost forgotten how much I love racing and competing at the highest level. To be honest, I was a bit nervous ahead of race week about my pace, as I’d hardly ridden a motorbike at all. Luckily for me, I didn’t seem to have lost any of my speed, and I finally felt that hunger again, which had waned a little over the past few months. I really hope that 2027 goes well for us. I’ll do everything I can to be better than ever before. What I’ve learnt from this year is that you just have to do it for yourself, whilst trying to enjoy it at the same time. Because you never know when it might be your last race.”

Martin Vugrinec – Maco Racing Team

“What a race. After 24 hours, we made it to the finish line out of the 53 teams that started, finishing 8th overall and 6th in the EWC. It was great to finish the season with two strong team-mates. Although we didn’t have the fastest motorbike and had by far the most pit stops of any team in the top 10, we gave it our all as a team. Maco’s R1 held up well, and with this result we’ve finished 2026 in 10th place in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). A big thank you to all the lads and lasses in the team, and to Maco for believing in me, even when I doubted myself. And, of course, to Ivica Vugrinec and Matea Grancarić, who made my life easier.”

Also on the starting grid: Marco Fetz – Mana-Au Competition, Max Stauffer/Lennox Lehmann/Max Kofler – Motobox Kremer Racing by 321, Milan Merckelbagh – JMA Racing Action Bike 34