The third and fourth races of the inaugural season of Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup took place at the MotoGP Brembo Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello on May 30.
The first race saw a tight battle between Oscar Gutiérrez (Nitti Racing), Eric Granado (Joe Rascal Racing), and Archie McDonald (Joe Rascal Racing), with Gutiérrez overtaking Granado at the finish and McDonald bringing up 3rd. The second race was even more fierce, with Gutiérrez, Granado, and McDonald battling alongside Andrea Iannone (Nitti Racing) and Filippo Rovelli (ParkinGo Team) in the lead group. Gutiérrez dropped out of the tight group when he ran wide in Lap 2, and Iannone snagged the lead in Lap 7 to claim victory, with Granado in 2nd McDonald in 3rd.
With eight more races to go, McDonald holds onto the points lead with 73 points, followed by Granado with 70 and Gutiérrez with 64. Next up, the series heads to TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, June 26-28.
Read Harley-Davidson’s press release below for more information.
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MILWAUKEE (May 31, 2026) – Niti Racing riders Oscar Gutiérrez and Andrea Iannone each rode race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles to win a round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup at the MotoGP Brembo Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello on May 30. After four of 12 scheduled races, Joe Rascal Racing rider Archie McDonald leads the series in points.
Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup – Mugello Circuit
Pole position was claimed by Joe Rascal Racing rider Eric Granado with a time of 1:56.704 on the 3.259-mile (5.245 km) 15-turn Mugello course. Top speeds recorded on the weekend approached 186 mph (300 km/h).
Race 1 featured a fierce eight-lap battle between Gutiérrez, Granado, and McDonald, with the three riders exchanging positions repeatedly throughout the race. Gutiérrez edged Granado by 0.171 seconds at the finish while McDonald completed the podium in third. Making his championship debut, Niti Racing rider Andrea Iannone immediately demonstrated front-running pace and spent much of the race fighting for podium positions. However, two Long Lap penalties ultimately relegated the Italian to fourth place despite a highly competitive performance.
“This victory feels even more special than the one in Austin because Mugello has always been a difficult circuit for me,” said Gutiérrez. “I was not feeling well yesterday due to an allergy and very little sleep, but we knew we had the pace to fight at the front. I focused on riding a smart race, studying my rivals and waiting for the right moment to attack. On the final lap I made my move on Eric and managed to take the win.”
In Race 2 Gutiérrez, Granado, McDonald, Iannone and ParkinGO Team rider Filippo Rovelli established themselves from the start as the lead group, engaging in a spectacular battle with multiple overtakes and constant position changes during the opening laps. The race changed dramatically when Gutiérrez ran off course while leading on lap 2, leaving Granado, McDonald, Rovelli and Iannone to continue their duel. Granado led through the middle of the race, but Iannone executed a tight pass at turn one on lap 7 to take the lead and held on to win by 0.512 seconds, with Granado second and McDonald third.
“Coming back to racing is always special but doing it here at Mugello and with Harley-Davidson made it even more incredible,” said Iannone, a winner in just his second Bagger World Cup race. “What surprised me the most is the riding experience of this bike. Once you get on track, you discover a true race machine. It can achieve impressive lap times, it handles really well and, above all, it’s a lot of fun to ride. I didn’t approach the races with a specific strategy. I’ve always been an instinctive rider, someone who follows his feelings, and I believe that when you make decisions with your heart, you rarely go wrong. The level is very high, everyone is fast, and the gaps are small. My goal is to keep enjoying myself, continue learning, and be competitive every time I get on the bike. I want to thank everyone who made this possible: the team, Harley-Davidson, and all the people involved in the project. It’s great to be here.”
After four of 12 rounds in the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup series McDonald leads with 73 points, followed by Granado with 70 points, Gutiérrez with 64, Saddlemen Race Development rider Jake Lewis with 53 points and Rovelli with 51 points.
The FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup returns to action June 26-28 at TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands.
Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup – MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy Race 1
- Oscar Gutiérrez (Spain) Nitti Racing
- Eric Granado (Brazil) Joe Rascal Racing
- Archie McDonald (Australia) Joe Rascal Racing
- Andrea Iannone (Italy) Nitti Racing
- Fillippo Rovelli (Italy) ParkinGO Team
- Jake Lewis (USA) Saddlemen Race Development
- Cody Wyman (USA) Joe Rascal Racing
- Travis Wyman (USA) Saddlemen Race Development
- Cory West (USA) Saddlemen Race Development
Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup – MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy Race 2
- Andrea Iannone (Italy)) Nitti Racing
- Eric Granado (Brazil) Joe Rascal Racing
- Archie McDonald (Australia) Joe Rascal Racing
- Fillippo Rovelli (Italy) ParkinGO Team
- Dimas Ekky Pratama (Indonesia) Nitti Racing
- Jake Lewis (USA) Saddlemen Race Development
- Cory West (USA) Saddlemen Race Development
- Cody Wyman (USA) Joe Rascal Racing
- Travis Wyman (USA) Saddlemen Race Development
- Oscar Gutierrez (Spain) Nitti Racing
