By There is just under two months before the European Hill Climb Road Race Championships season opener at Landshaag (11th-12th April).
The entry process to compete is now open for this race and for prospective full-time European Championship entrants (next series rounds will be at Julbach 13th-14th June and Spoleto 11th-12th July).
Before this, we can look back at series ‘King Pins’ achievements, principally the thirty solo riders plus Sidecar racers to have scooped at least one title success in this millennium, after renewal of this Championship in 2013 post UEM Cup pilot year in 2012.
Leading this ranking are, Italian duo both with nine title crowns, Ultra-Lightweight class specialist Guido Testoni (nine times Champion in 250cc class) and Manx GP rostrum finisher, top Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix newcomer of 2025, Maurizio Bottalico (Superbike x3, Supersport x5, Supermoto X1).
They followed the success of notable riders across the 1970’s and 1980’s like double European Champions Dominique Bonvicini (France), Walter Rungg (Switzerland), Eduard ‘Edi’ Stollinger (Austria).
Plus, Sidecars duo Thomas Muller/Kurt Waltisperg, (Swiss Sidecar pilot Muller took his third hill-climb crown aside Urs Bahler).
European Hill Climb Road Race Champions through the past thirteen years, read as follows:
(Amount of European Hill Climb Road Race Champion crowns, year of titles gained near racer’s name)
Guido Testoni (Italy) – 9 – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Maurizio Bottalico (Italy) – 9 – 2020, 2021, 2022 x2, 2023 x2, 2024, 2025 x2
Stefano Bonetti (Italy) – 5 – 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021
Francesco Curinga (Italy) – 4 – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Jean-Luc David (France) – 3 – 2015, 2019, 2022
Uwe Rademacher (Germany) – 2 – 2013, 2019
Philippe Bongard (Switzerland) – 2 – 2018, 2021
Daniele Stolli (Italy) – 2 – 2023, 2024
Christophe Balmer (Switzerland) – 1 – 2013
Luca Gottardi (Italy) – 1 – 2013
Jean-Luc Papaux (Switzerland) – 1 – 2013
Pierre Favre (France) – 1 – 2013
Giovanni Ronzoni (Italy) – 1 – 2013
Jurgen Schonleitner (Austria) – 1 – 2013
Pierre Yves Bian (France) – 1 – 2014
Fabien Bochatay (Switzerland) – 1 – 2014
Jean-Paul Clement (France) – 1 – 2015
Francesco Martinelli (Italy) – 1 – 2015
Luca Trivella (Italy) – 1 – 2016
Andrea Majola (Italy) – 1 – 2017
Wolfgang Gammer (Austria) – 1 – 2018
Rafael Neuner (Austria) – 1 – 2018
Alexander Ponzellini (Italy) – 1 – 2019
Steven Bellavoine (France) – 1 – 2020
Carmine Matarazzo (Italy) – 1 – 2023
Daniel Kronschlager (Austria) – 1 – 2024
Bernard Depierreux (Belgium) – 1 – 2024
Salvatore Sallustro (Italy) – 1 – 2024
Cosimo Sozzo (Italy) – 1 – 2025
Philipp Neumuller (Austria) – 1 – 2025
Sidecars:
Olivier Dichamp/Vincent Peugeot (France) – 2 – 2013, 2014
(Racers with the exact same number of European Hill Climb Road Race crowns, sorted by earlier achievement.)
An added bonus, 2012 UEM Cup Champions (encompassing two rounds at Landshaag plus Passo Zambla in Gorno near Bergamo.
Solos:
Helmut Schleindlhuber (Austria) – 1 – 2012
Christian Zimmermann (Germany) – 1 – 2012
Stefano Bonetti (Italy) – 1 – 2012
David Lignite (Italy) – 1 – 2012
Luca Gottardi (Italy) – 1 – 2012
Franco Federigi (Italy) – 1 – 2012
Roberto Erba (Italy) – 1 – 2012
Helmut Sommer (Austria) – 1 – 2012
Gabriele Marignoni (Italy) – 1 – 2012
Sidecars:
Robert Pauli/Giancarlo Cavadini (Switzerland) – 1 – 2012
Photo credit: Jan Vavra
Words by Jan Vavra
