The third edition of the FIM Long Track Under 23 World Cup powered by Anlas, Kineo and HKC Koopmann returns to the Reiterwaldstadion Vechta in north-west Germany this coming Friday (12 September) where up-and-coming riders from six nations – all aged between sixteen and twenty-three – will showcase their skills in front of an international audience.

  • Third edition of FIM Long Track Under 23 World Cup set for Friday
  • Reiterwaldstadion Vechta plays host for second consecutive season
  • Future stars of the sport prepare to showcase their skills

With the event followed the next day at Vechta by the FIM Long Track of Nations, the potential stars of the future are assured a knowledgeable crowd of passionate fans, giving them a genuine feel for the atmosphere of elite competition that fits in perfectly with the FIM’s forward-thinking approach to encouraging, inspiring and developing young talent.

This year’s entry features nine riders who contested last season’s FIM Long Track Under 23 World Cup – that was also staged in the immaculate tree-lined outdoor stadium – with two of them already familiar to fans of the sport at an elite level, having appeared at selected rounds of this season’s FIM Long Track World Championship.

The highest-placed finisher from last year who is returning for another attempt at the title is French rider Tino Bouin who was seventh in 2024 and has scored points in this season’s FIM Long Track World Championship. Home rider Timo Wachs was thirteenth last year and had a wild card ride at last month’s third round of the series at Scheessel, although he did not score.

Both also contested the FIM Long Track Challenge at Morizès at the start of September, but failed to make the all-important top-five and earn a permanent place in the 2026 FIM Long Track World Championship. However, seventeen-year-old Dane Patrick Kruse – who was eighth at Vechta last season – finished third at Morizès and if he can carry that momentum into this weekend he must surely start among the favourites.

Out of the other returning riders, the highest-placed last year was France’s Théo Ugoni in tenth, one position ahead of Jeffrey Sijbesma from the Netherlands and two ahead of Jan Hlačina from the Czech Republic. Britain’s Eli Meadows was fifteenth while the German pairing of Tim Widera and Kevin Lück also made the journey to Vechta last season, although only Widera raced.

For Sijbesma, Wachs, Ugoni and Bouin, this will be their third consecutive appearance in the FIM Long Track Under 23 World Cup and this experience could be crucial, although the remainder of the ambitious young riders in action on Friday evening are equally hungry for success and will not be troubled by their rivals’ reputations.

French racer Noah Urda – the 2023 FIM Track Racing Youth Gold Trophy winner – must also be considered a contender, but with so many talented young racers in action it would be difficult to even attempt to make any result predictions.

The action from the Reiterwaldstadion Vechta is scheduled to get under way at 19:00 (local time) when the tapes will go up on the first of fifteen Heats.