Bagger World Cup: McDonald is the first champion; will Iannone try again in 2027?

At Spielberg the Bagger world title was awarded, and it was claimed by the Australian McDonald: regrets for his rivals, including Iannone.

The 2026 Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup ends with the crowning of Archie McDonald as the first champion of the debuting category. After finishing second in Race 1, the points leader came into Race 2 with a 21-point advantage over Oscar Gutierrez, the only rider with a mathematical chance of snatching the title from him in Austria. But in the final heat at the Red Bull Ring there was no miracle for the Spanish rider of the Niti Racing team, who finished second at the line behind the dominant Eric Granado.

The Brazilian started from pole position and stayed in front until the end of the race. McDonald had been right behind him in the early stages, only to lose positions and finish eighth. The Australian can thus celebrate clinching the Bagger world crown together with the Joe Rascal Racing team, who are also celebrating Granado’s victory.

Granado bounced back in style after being taken out by Andrea Iannone in Race 1, an incident that knocked him out of title contention. The Brazilian was determined to win the final heat of the championship, even if the anger over what happened with his Italian colleague hasn’t fully subsided. Sharing the Race 2 podium with him and Gutierrez was Kyle Wyman, a two-time Mission King of the Baggers champion who entered the Austrian round as an independent wildcard with Wegner Automotive x KWR (Kyle Wyman Racing).

As for Iannone, penalized with a long-lap penalty for Saturday’s incident with Granado, he finished sixth. Will he try again in 2027 to assault the Bagger world title? It’s worth remembering that The Maniac did not take part in the opening round in Austin; he began his adventure with Niti Racing’s Harley-Davidson at Mugello, where he won right away. He may have some regrets both for joining late and for a few races that didn’t go as well as hoped.

The Bagger World Cup will take place next year as well, as Harley-Davidson has signed a three-year agreement with the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group. The contract also includes an option to extend the deal by another two years, up to 2030.

The organizer’s goal for the future is to increase the number of teams, riders, and also the number of races. We’ll see if any big names join the 2027 grid to draw even more attention to the category. Certainly, the announcement of Andrea Iannone’s participation starting from the second round at Mugello generated greater curiosity.

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