The podium of the European S2 Supermoto. From the left: Peter Aicher, Austrian MX Chairman, Diego Monticelli, Giovanni Bussei, Petr Vorlicek, Hans Danzinger, Head of Wachauring/Melk, Dr. Wolfgang Srb, FIM Europe President.
In warm and sunny conditions and many spectators around the track, TM Racing rider Diego Monticelli took the victory in S2.
Race1
Under a clear blue sky the first race on the day started in S2 class. When the warm up laps started, bad luck seemed to hunt TM Racing rider Diego Monticelli again, as his TM wouldn’t start at the grid and he had to go to the waiting zone again. Luckily his mechanic was able to start the bike and as last Monticelli could start his warm up laps.
At the start it was TMS Honda rider Milan Sitniansky who took the holeshot followed by SBD TM rider Giovanni Bussei, Monticelli and Suzuki Grau rider Petr Vorlicek. KTM MTR rider didn’t have a great start and lost some positions to wildcard rider Max Kofler and Gazza Racing rider Luca Ciaglia. In front the top four was very close to each other with only a few meters between the riders. In lap three Bussei was able to pass Sitnianksy in the fast right hand corner on the back of the circuit, leaving no gap for the other riders when they entered the off-road section. In the next few laps Bussei tried to create some distance, but Sitniansky, Monticelli and Vorlicek were not giving up and pushed at every lap. Just behind the top four, Austrian wildcard rider Markus Larcher and Romain Kaivers closed the gap to the leading group.
In lap seven TM Racing rider Diego Monticelli decided it was time to put up the speed and quickly passed Sitniansky, and one lap later Monticelli took over the lead from Bussei. Soon the Italian rider managed to pull away from his opponents. Behind Monticelli, a group of four riders with Bussei, Sitniansky, Vorlicek and Kaivers continued their battle for second place in the race. Bussei was under great pressure from the others but on the highspeed racetrack, Bussei showed his road racing skills and managed to stay in front of the others. A bit further down the field TM Racing rider Joan Llados was recovering from his bad start and managed the get back to sixth at the finish line. The battle for the lead was over with a few laps to go and without pressure from behind, Diego Monticelli won the first race of S2. Almost five seconds behind the race winner, Giovanni Bussei became second, before Czech riders Sitniansky and Vorlicek. KTM MTR rider Romain Kaivers completed the top five.
Race2
The tension in the first race promised a lot for the second race of the day. At the start it was TM Racing rider Diego Monticelli who took the holeshot just before Union Bike TM rider Giovanni Bussei and TMS Honda Milan Sitniansky. Leader in the European championship Suzuki Grau rider Petr Vorlicek pushed his bike through the first corner in fourth position, before Spanish TM Racing rider Joan Llados. In the first laps, Bussei was pushing very hard for the lead and on lap three he was able to pass Monticelli at the entrance of the first off-road section taking over first place in the race. After he was passed Monticelli kept on pushing and was on the tail of Bussei the whole time.
Just behind the leading group of four riders, Austrian wildcard rider Markus Larcher and Llados closed in on the leaders and halfway the race they were at the back of the group which was now six riders. In lap eight Czech riders Sitniansky and Vorlicek passed Diego Monticelli and pushed him back in the fourth position. The Italian TM Racing rider didn’t give up so easily and in lap 11 he first passed Vorlicek and one lap later he was able to pass Sitniansky as well placing him in second position again, only half a second behind the leader Bussei.
Behind the top four, TM Racing rider Joan Llados and Markus Larcher were trying to get on the podium but at the end they had to settle for fourth and fifth position, followed by Inside Motorsports rider Kevin Fagre who was having his own fight with wildcard rider Max Kofler. On the finish line the Swedish rider it was enough the take seventh place. In the lead Bussei didn’t make any mistakes and kept the speed high, giving Monticelli no chance to pass him and taking the first place in the second race and – more important – the overall win in the GP of Poland.
Behind Monticelli, Vorlicek managed to pass his fellow countryman Sitnianky and with this third place, he took the last place on the podium taking valuable points back to Czech Republic.
