Sharp comeback for Oliver Svendsen in IDM Sportbike – Pole, track record and victory at Autodrom Most!

After a challenging second round of the IDM Sportbike Championship, where both setup and speed were a struggle, 21-year-old Oliver Svendsen from Låsby came back strongly in the third round at the technical and fast Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic. And in style: pole position, a new track record and a convincing victory in Saturday's race.

New team – and a strong comeback

The weekend in Most was marked by both change and expectations. With new people in the team, changed work routines and only a few days to find the right setup, there was a lot at stake. But the chemistry in the partly new crew quickly proved to be a strength – the collaboration worked from day one.

As an added spice, the competition was further intensified: The fast Spaniard Iñigo Iglesias competed in a completely new team that made its debut in Most – and that added extra excitement to the field.

“We needed to get back on track after a tough weekend last time, and we succeeded. The collaboration with the new crew worked from the first minute – they delivered 100%,” says Oliver.

Pole, track record and Saturday victory

Already in Friday's free practice, Oliver sent a clear signal – fastest lap times in both sessions and significant progress in the set-up. In Saturday's qualifying, he cemented his form by setting the fastest time in both sessions – 0.29 seconds ahead of Iglesias and 0.43 seconds ahead of Justin Hanse.

Saturday's race also featured drama: On the warm-up lap, Iglesias suffered a chain failure, and there was uncertainty about his participation. But his team got him back on the track just seconds before the pit lane closed.

Oliver was undeterred. He took the lead from the first corner, quickly built up a 1.6-second lead and increased the pace further midway through the race. After 11 flawless laps, he crossed the finish line 4.9 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor – a dominant and tactically strong performance.

Sunday's race – drama and margins

The recipe for Sunday's race was clear: Repeat the success. But the competitors had clearly raised the bar – and new, unforeseen factors came into play. A massive oil spill in the race before meant that several fast corners were slick with oil.

The race was shortened to 10 laps with two extra sighting laps to allow the drivers to inspect the conditions. The uncertainty was evident from the first lap – and with Oliver in the lead from the first corner, he was the one who had to take chances first in the slippery sections.

He held the lead for most of the race, but couldn't make up the gap. On the penultimate lap, Iglesias managed to squeeze past. Oliver responded immediately and fought all the way to the last corner – but was beaten by just 0.005 seconds.

Surprisingly, the IDM organization chose not to use a finish photo to verify the result – and with such a small margin, the outcome could have been different. Nevertheless, second place in difficult conditions was a strong performance, testifying to both speed, courage and stability.

A weekend of important progress

“This was a really important win for me and the team. We came from a weekend where things weren’t working and knew we had to find the pace and rhythm again. The new team delivered from day one and I felt confident and well prepared when it mattered. To be able to take pole, break the track record, win by such a solid margin – and at the same time maintain the lead in the championship – these are the kind of weekends you dream of. Big thanks to the whole team!”