Superbike: Markus Reiterberger takes a break from the Championship

The Althea BMW Racing Team officially announces, with regret, that Markus Reiterberger has decided to no longer take part in the World Series Championship in order to dedicate himself to his full physical recovery in order to better manage his future as a professional driver .

In an atmosphere of full collaboration, it was Reiterberger himself who made this important decision because unfortunately, after last year's accident in the second race of the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round at Misano, he had never recovered 100% from fracture of the T10 and T12 vertebrae.
The young promise was struggling a lot to get back to his same levels, both physically and in terms of performance on the track, and therefore decided to take a break, with immediate effect: Markus will therefore not be present starting from the next round in Assen.
His replacement between now and the end of the season will be Raffaele de Rosa, the reigning STK1000 World Champion who won his with Team Althea last year.

“After making careful assessments I have decided to interrupt my participation in the Superbike World Championship. After starting the 2016 season very well, this year I have not been able to continue to achieve good results. I therefore chose to stop to dedicate myself to my complete recovery and my motorcycling career. I really appreciated the experience I was able to spend in the Superbike World Championship with the Althea BMW Racing Team and now I can't wait to face new challenges" – he explained Markus Reiterberger – “I feel the need to thank my sponsors for allowing me to participate in the World Championship. BMW Motorrad for their trust and passion. I also thank all the staff of the Althea BMW Racing team for their work. I have always been supported in a positive way by my friends, my family and my fans and I am very grateful to everyone. It has always been my dream to compete in the Superbike World Championship and, thanks to the experience I have had, I will do my best to be able to return."

“I am naturally very sorry to have to make this announcement, considering Markus an athlete of great caliber and certainly a very strong talent, who could marry well with the Superbike category. Unfortunately, everything was complicated by the accident of which he was a victim at Misano and after which he was no longer able to fully recover the confidence that had distinguished him in the first part of the 2016 championship” – he commented, not without regret Genesio Bevilacqua – “I think this decision leaves everyone a little disappointed, me personally, the entire Althea team and also BMW, but I think it's normal that he now wants to seek some peace of mind. Markus is only 23 years old and therefore has plenty of time to recover and make up for it as soon as possible. I can't help but thank him for all the effort he put in during his stay in the Althea team, and we all wish him the best of luck, so that he comes back as soon as possible stronger than before, with any bike. He will undoubtedly be able to regain the indispensable physical condition to better face his future."

We wish Markus good luck in his full recovery and hope to see him on the track soon!