Ioannis Peristeras won a thrilling Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale Race 1 ahead of Devis Bergamini in second, and third-placed Marco Dias Monteagudo after a sensational nine-lap battle at the Bol d’Or, the final round of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship.
On Friday, the 88th edition of the Bol d’Or saw the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale take centre stage in front of the passionate fans in France and streamed live around the world on the Yamaha Racing YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@yamaharacing). The 29 competitors from 12 different countries lined up on the grid, but there was drama before the race even started, with a crash on the Warm Up lap that saw Manuel Rocca unfortunately forced to withdraw, although luckily he was able to walk away unhurt.
When the lights went out, there was an incredible battle at the front throughout the entire race around the 5.777km Circuit Paul Ricard with the Mistral Straight, even with the chicane in use, making it impossible for any rider to break away from the leading pack due to the slipstream.
The lead changed hands at almost every corner, with the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale riders putting on a brilliant show of racing, and it would all come down to the final lap. Peristeras from Greece, a former FIM R3 BLU CRU World Cup rider, led a lead group of eight into the first corner. They went five abreast into the Mistral Straight Chicane, with Italian Federico Iacoi, who has wildcarded in the FIM R3 BLU CRU World Cup, taking advantage of the slipstream to move from fifth to first with just a few corners left.
Any one of the leading group could have emerged victorious, but it was Peristeras who timed his charge to perfection. Leading out of the final corner, he managed to hold off the rest of the pack in the race to the finish line to secure the victory, ahead of Italian Bergamini, another former FIM R3 BLU CRU World Cup rider, and Monteagudo from Spain. It was a sensational end to a brilliant race, which saw the first eight finishers, with leading female rider Paola Ramos Vivo in eighth, cross the line separated by just 1.344s.
The podium celebrations saw Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team’s Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Jason O’Halloran presenting the trophies. After the race, all of the riders were treated to a tour of the YART pit box by Fritz, Hanika, O’Halloran, and Robin Mulhauser, who took the time to show them around, explain how a FIM Endurance World Championship team operates, give invaluable riding tips and career advice, and answer any questions the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale competitors had.
The riders’ points across the two races in the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale are combined to give the final result. Therefore, it is Peristeras who currently leads the charge to win a brand new R7, with the prizes for the riders that finish second and third overall being GYTR performance parts vouchers, courtesy of Yamaha’s GYTR PRO SHOP network.
Race 2 takes place on Saturday at 12:10 CEST.
Posted on September 19, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
