Mühldorf: Erik Riss (30) crowned German Long-Track Champion after race abandoned due to rain

After weeks out due to illness, Erik Riss made his racing comeback on the sand track in Mühldorf, and the two-time long-track world champion proved that he can compete at the very top of the national rankings straight away. With two race wins, Riss made an impressive return, conceding just a single point to Daniel Spiller in the sixth race. Due to Riss dropping a point, Martin Smolinski – who had dropped a point in each of the first two heats – closed the gap to just one point behind the Swabian, and that gap remained even after the two semi-finals. Riss would have gone into the final on 19 points, where he would have faced Smolinski, on 18 points, for the second time.

“It would certainly have been exciting again in the final,” said Martin Smolinski. “But all six riders who had qualified for the final agreed, following the rain, not to race any further, especially as it was already quite late. As the points were carried over to the final – contrary to the usual international standard – there could even have been two further run-offs afterwards, which would have extended the event even further. So we had a sporting result and I’m satisfied with my day’s racing.”

Daniel Spiller took bronze; after finishing second in his semi-final behind Smolinski, he took his points tally to 16, putting him one place ahead of former world champion Lukas Fienhage.

As part of the supporting programme for the German Championship, alongside the ‘Oldies’ races, sidecars and national solo riders were also in action, with the final heats for these categories also being cancelled.

In the sidecar class, Markus Venus and Markus Eibl led the way, although they – like Markus Brandhofer and Bridget Meijerink in second place – were the only pair to have completed three heats. The rest of the field – led by Raphael San Millan with passenger Benedikt Zapf, who managed to beat Venus and Eibl in the first heat – had only completed two heats, which skews the result.