Iannone wins at Mugello on a Harley Road Glide.

Several Harley-Davidson Road Glides on the track

The headline may be surprising, but it highlights the direction in which Grand Prix racing is heading. It wasn’t just the victories by Bezzecchi in MotoGP, Gonzales in Moto2, and Uriarte in Moto3 that spectators got to enjoy at Mugello. There was also the battle of the bagger bikes, where former GP rider Andrea Iannone claimed his first win.

Following Friday’s qualifying session, Eric Granado (Joe Rascal Racing) secured pole position with a lap time of 1:56.704 (the fastest lap in MotoGP qualifying was 1:43.921), setting a new Bagger World Cup lap record at the Mugello circuit. The Brazilian finished ahead of his teammate Archie McDonald, who was second by 0.323 seconds. Rounding out the front row, Andrea Iannone (Niti Racing), the newcomer to the category, immediately impressed by qualifying third, just 0.547 seconds off pole position, in his first weekend riding his Harley-Davidson Road Glide race bike, despite having very limited time to get used to the bike upon his arrival at Mugello.

Race 1

Saturday’s race was marked by a fierce battle between Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing), Eric Granado, and Archie McDonald, with the three riders swapping positions numerous times. Late in the race, Gutiérrez pulled ahead to claim his second victory of the season thanks to a smart and controlled ride. Granado crossed the finish line in second place, while McDonald rounded out the podium in third. In his first outing, Andrea Iannone immediately set a fast pace and spent much of the race battling for a spot on the podium. However, two penalties resulting in a Long Lap ultimately relegated the Italian to fourth place despite a very high level of performance.

Des Harley-Davidson Road Glide sur circuit

Race 2

If Race 1 was intense, Race 2 raised the bar even higher. Gutiérrez, Granado, McDonald, and Iannone quickly took the lead, engaging in a fierce battle punctuated by numerous passes and constant position changes from the very first laps. The race took a turn when Gutiérrez crashed while battling for the lead, leaving Granado and Iannone to continue their duel for the win. The Brazilian and the Italian swapped positions several times before Iannone finally took the lead, crossing the finish line as the winner and securing his very first victory in the Bagger World Cup—in just his second race in the category. Granado finished second, while McDonald rounded out the podium after falling behind the leading duo in the final laps.

Une Harley-Davidson Road Glide de course blanche avec le numéro 13

Following the Italian round, Archie McDonald retains the championship lead with 73 points, ahead of Eric Granado (70 points) and Oscar Gutiérrez (64 points).