Assen – EuroMoto Weekend Report

An emotional rollercoaster in Assen

It was an emotionally mixed weekend for Markus Reiterberger at the historic circuit in Assen, the Netherlands. After a hugely successful Friday of practice, during which he finished top of the timesheets in FP1 and FP2 on the hottest day of the weekend, rain fell on Saturday morning. FP3 also went excellently, even in wet conditions. By the time qualifying came around, the skies had cleared again, but the drying track meant conditions were far from ideal. The rider from Obing had to settle for fourth on the grid.

Reiti didn’t get off to a great start in the first race, but he quickly made up for it and caught up with the leading group. His front wheel tucked in at the final chicane, which secured him only the final podium place – third place. The second race didn’t go so well. After a poor start and a chase to make up ground, Reiterberger managed to overtake the reigning champion, Lukas Tulovic, on the first lap. Just as he had worked his way up to Twan Smits, who was on course for his second victory, Lukas Tulovic came up from behind again and put the 32-year-old under pressure. He almost crashed into the back of Smits. To avoid this, Reiterberger swerved into the run-off area, which later earned him a long-lap penalty. As he set off to serve this penalty in a somewhat emotional state, he had no choice but to swerve again, this time into the gravel trap. A seventh-place finish was then all that was possible for Markus Reiterberger.

Following a perfect team effort and performance from the entire Masteroil Alpha Van Zon BMW team, Reiti  – currently fourth in the overall EuroMoto standings – will be heading from the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ to the „Green Hell“, the Nürburgring, in three weeks’ time, from 4 to 6 September. Tickets and information about the event can be found at: https://euromoto.racing

Markus Reiterberger:

„I reckon Friday’s practice session this weekend was the best of the whole season. I finished FP1 and FP2 in first place. We got off to a really good start to the event and set some good times even in these hot temperatures. Everything went well; we found a few more things on the bike that we were able to tweak. It wasn’t quite 100 per cent perfect yet, but working towards a podium finish was clearly our goal. As I simply love the track at Assen, everything felt great. On Saturday, it was surprisingly wet in FP3, but I coped really well with the conditions. Qualifying, which then took place in dry conditions again, also went well. During the first stint, I was right up there at the front. I improved further on the second set of tyres, but then slipped back to fourth place. We narrowly missed out on a front-row start. I didn’t get off to a great start in the first race, but I was able to make up ground quickly. I overtook Tulo (Lukas Tulovic) and managed to stay on Twan’s (Smits) tail. In the final chicane, my front wheel completely buckled. Fortunately, I managed to salvage the situation, but I lost touch with the leaders as a result. I eventually crossed the line in third place. I got off to a good start in the second race and overtook Tulo (Lukas Tulovic) straight away on the first lap. I managed to stay on Twan Smits’s tail for a few laps. When I saw that Tulo (Lukas Tulovic) was closing in and putting pressure on me, I nearly crashed into Twan (Smits) on the back straight and had to swerve into the run-off area. After a few laps during which I managed to make up some time, I was given a long-lap penalty for the incident. Fuming, I went into the long-lap penalty a bit too fast and had to swerve into the gravel trap. Sure, I could have finished a lot higher than seventh, but rules are rules and you have to accept that, even if I don’t understand it. The positive thing I’m taking away from Assen is the brilliant teamwork and our superb performance this weekend. We’re incredibly fast and have done a really good job.”