Schumacher slips up in Superbike race

Schumacher slips up in Superbike race

Monday, 19 May 2008 18:04

Michael Schumacher's motorcycle racing exploits struck a hitch at the weekend when he crashed in his first appearance in German Superbikes.

The seven-times world champion has dabbled with two-wheeled racing since retiring from Formula 1, although he is adamant that he is only racing bikes for his own entertainment and has no plans to start a second career.

Despite Schumacher racing under the pseudonym Marcel Niederhausen, word got out that he would be competing in the Oschersleben rounds of the IDM Superbike series.

A large crowd duly gathered to watch him come from 37th on the grid to 28th in the first race, before crashing out of 21st place in race two.

"This was a classic example of how to learn the hard way," Schumacher wrote on his personal website.

"I had just planned an attack on the bike in front, and had chosen quite a narrow gap to get a good exit curve.

"My footrest hitched onto the kerb and I slid off with the bike."

The German legend escaped injury and shrugged off the incident.

"Nothing really came of it, just a few scratches to the bike's exterior, and probably a few good pictures for the photographers who were at the scene," said Schumacher.

"The sad thing was that I couldn't finish the race, but all in all it was great fun.

"A bike race is really quite different from motor racing, and it was really good to hold my own with the field assembled.

"I could have pulled a few places back in the first race, but unfortunately I false started.

"But after that the race was really enjoyable."

The Oschersleben race was billed as a one-off, with Schumacher not offering any details of when he might next appear on a motorcycle grid.