WIND
IN THE
P54
The FIM Flat
Track World
Championship
season opener
podium: Ashton
Boughen (center),
Gerard Bailo (left)
and Tim Neave.
Ducati Riders Podium in OEM's
FIM Flat Track Debut
T
he VRX Dirt Store Ducati
Race Team has made history
with its sensational debut in the
FIM Flat Track World Champion-
ship with first and third in the
season opener.
Series newcomer Ashton
Boughen (VRX Dirt Store Ducati)
turned the 2026 FIM Flat Track
World Championship on its head,
storming to a stunning victory at
the opening round at Roden in
the Netherlands on May 9.
Boughen's teammate, Tim
Neave, was also on the podium
in third place, completing a re
-
markable start for the first-ever
Ducati entry in the series.
Defending champion Ervin
Krajcovic (KTM) could only claim
a tentative fourth in the open
-
ing eight-lap heat as Britain's
Jack Bell (Triumph) took victory
ahead of Ondrej Svedik (KTM)
and Neave.
Following a restart, the second
heat saw a tapes-to-flag victory
for 18-year-old Boughen, who
wasted no time in throwing the
gauntlet down to his rivals, al
-
though he was forced to fight hard
as Spain's Gerard Bailo Pelegrin—
champion in 2022—poured on the
pressure before the British rookie
pulled clear with faster, wider lines
along the straights.
Local hero Maikel Dijkstra
then took a popular victory
ahead of Italy's Daniele Tonelli
(TM) and William Bonnici (Su
-
zuki) from France to complete
the first block of racing.
Recently, Zaeta rider Bailo has
struggled to replicate his title-
contending form, but the Span-
iard looked back to his best when
he swept by Tonelli during the
early stages of the fourth heat to
record an impressive win, with
the Ukraine's Stanislav Ohorodnik
taking third from Svedik.
Krajcovic then claimed his
first heat victory ahead of Bell
and Dutch racer Menno van
Meer (Honda) as Boughen
slipped to fourth before Britain's
Neave led home his compatriot
