Elf Marc VDS Racing Team / KM99 Shows Its Full Potential Despite a Cruel End to Round 2 of the FIM EWC

After a week of intense work in particularly challenging conditions, the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team / KM99 leaves the second round of the FIM Endurance World Championship with mixed feelings. While the final result does not reflect the level of performance shown throughout the weekend, the team can take away many positives.

From qualifying onwards, the #99 Yamaha confirmed the progress made in recent months by securing a strong 6th place on the starting grid.

A result that perfectly reflected the potential demonstrated by the team throughout the week.

The opening stages of the race unfolded as expected, with a strong and consistent pace allowing the team to battle for P5. In extremely changeable weather conditions, with the track constantly switching between wet and dry, the riders had to adapt continuously.

At the halfway point, a minor technical issue required an unscheduled pit stop of around eight minutes, dropping the #99 Yamaha down to P16. Far from giving up, the riders mounted an impressive comeback, fighting their way back to P8 with just fifty minutes remaining.

Unfortunately, Bo Bendsneyder suffered a heavy crash.

While his overall condition is reassuring, shoulder injuries were identified and will require further medical examinations.

The #99 Yamaha returned to the garage heavily damaged, but the mechanics once again demonstrated their outstanding expertise by rebuilding the bike in just fifteen minutes, allowing it to rejoin the race and take the chequered flag.

In the end, P29 overall and P15 in the EWC category are secondary. What the team will remember most is the excellent work carried out by the entire crew throughout the week, the significant progress made with the #99 Yamaha, and the collective determination to never give up despite the challenges encountered.

The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team / KM99 would like to thank its riders, mechanics, engineers, partners and supporters for their commitment and support. Despite the disappointment of this ending, the performance shown throughout the event provides plenty of reason for optimism and ambition heading into the remainder of the season.

Contacts :
Gaetan SCHYNS, Team Owner : gaetan@km99.be
Mario KUPPER, Team Manager: mario@km99.be
Dario SCHYNS, Communication & SN: dario@km99.be