Repsol CEV/FIM Moto2 European Championship
Valencia, Spain
April 28, 2018
Final Overall Qualifying Results:
1. Jesko Raffin, (Kalex), 1:36.109
2. Edgar Pons, Spain (Kalex), 1:36.540
3. Lukas Tulovic, Germany (Tech3), 1:36.569
4. Augusto Fernandez, Spain (Suter), 1:36.703
5. Hector Garza, Spain (Tech3), 1:36.771
6. Xavier Cardelus, Andorra (Kalex), 1:36.962
7. Tommaso Marcon, Italy (Speed Up), 1:37.199
8. Miguel Pons, Spain (Kalex), 1:37.300
9. Dimas Ekky, Indonesia (Kalex), 1:37.379
10. David Sanchis, Spain (Yamaha), 1:37.412
16. Benny Solis, Jr., USA (Kalex), 1:39.075
More, from a press release issued by CEV Repsol Press Office:
Viu, Raffin, Muñoz and Sardanyons to fight for victory in Valencia from pole position
The second round of the FIM CEV Repsol which takes place this weekend at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo promises a great deal. Aleix Viu (Marinelli Sniper) in Moto3™, Jesko Raffin (Swiss Innovative Investors Junior) in Moto2™, Daniel Muñoz (Jerez Andalucía Team) in the European Talent Cup and Joan Sardanyons in the European Kawasaki Z Cup will start from pole positions after setting the best times in the qualifying sessions of their respective categories. With Alexi Viu taking his first ever pole in the FIM CEV Repsol, Jesko Raffin set the fastest lap in a qualifying session for the first time this season. Daniel Muñoz will debut in the ETC from the front position on the grid.
In Moto3™, Aleix Viu, Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Celestino Vietti (SKY Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) make up the first row of the grid with the best time of 1:39.410 set by the Marinelli Sniper team rider. Viu, along with Öncü and Vietti, were the only ones to go below 1:40, although the SKY Junior Team VR46 Academy rider finished just 0.571 adrift of the poleman in a very tight qualifying session: the difference between the first and the seventeenth rider classified is less than one second.
In fact, Aleix Viu and Can Öncü, who finished within 0.064 of the quickest time, were just a few thousandths away from improving on the pole time obtained last year by Jaume Masiá’s 1:39.315 in the second round of the FIM CEV Repsol in Valencia , although they did beat Vicente Pérez’s (Reale Avintia Academy) lap of 1:40.115 that put him at the front of the grid in the first event of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit last year.
In the second row of tomorrow’s Moto3™ grid will be current leader of the category Manuel Pagliani (Leopard Junior), Sergio García (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and Marc García (Max Racing Team). Further back will be Jeremy Alcoba (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0), seventh, and Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team), eleventh, two riders who are appearing as Moto3™ guest riders in the next Red Bull Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez.
Jesko Raffin, currently heading Moto2™, will start in pole position after posting the best time in the first qualifying session, the second being interrupted by a brief storm which left riders with no hope of improving on times set earlier in the morning. Edgar Pons (AGR Team) and Lukas Tulovic (Team Wimu CNS) complete the front row of the grid, while Augusto Fernández (Easyrace), poleman in the first round at Estoril, Héctor Garzó (Team Wimu CNS) and Xavier Cardelús (Team Stylobike) will start behind them. David Sanchís (Easyrace M2) was the fastest in Superstock 600.
Daniel Muñoz (Jerez Andalucía Motor Talent) makes his debut this weekend in the ETC, doing so from pole position. The acolyte of José Luis Cardoso could not take part in the first meeting of the FIM CEV Repsol in Estoril because he had not yet reached the minimum age but in Valencia he will head the grid. Xavier Artigas (Honda Impala), who achieved the best combined time of Group A, will start second followed by Barry Baltus (Reale Avintia Academy), second in Group B where Daniel Muñoz was the fastest.
With the participants divided into two groups for the qualifying practice, the times of the first of Group A and the first of Group B are compared, as are the second of Group A and the second of Group B, and so on, with the best time of the two defining the starting order until a grid of 44 riders is formed.
The European Kawasaki Z Cup returns to the scene with the first race of the season in Valencia, with Joan Sardanyons (Proelit) starting from pole ahead of Javier Valera (Racing Albacete) and Marc Guillamet (XCTech).
Sunday’s race schedule is as follows:
Moto3™ Race 1 (18 laps): 11.00
ETC Race 1 (17 laps): 12.00
Moto2™ (19 laps): 13.00
Moto3™ Race 2 (18 laps): 14.00
ETC 2 Race 2 (17 laps): 15.00
European Kawasaki Z Cup™ (19 laps): 16.00
Cuna 2 (9 laps): 17.00
As usual, entrance to the paddock will be free over the weekend. In addition, FIM CEV Repsol fans who go to the main paddock access of the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo will be able to take part in the Pit Lane Walk, but only the first comers will get a pass, with a maximum of two passes per person. The Pit Lane Walk will take place at 10.15 am and start from the outside of the control tower.
The FIM CEV Repsol’s TV presence continues to grow in both Europe and the rest of the world. In Spain, Movistar MotoGP broadcasts live all of the scheduled races of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship, Moto2™ European Championship and European Talent Cup, as does BT Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Italy, Sky will broadcast live the Moto3™ Junior World Championship and the Moto2™ European Championship races.
Eurosport, through Eurosportplayer (France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Romania), will also offer live coverage of all of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship, Moto2™ European Championship and European Talent Cup races. In Portugal, Sport TV consolidates its commitment to motorcycling by broadcasting live or recorded versions of all the races scheduled throughout the season. For the first time Hungarian fans will be able to enjoy the European Talent Cup thanks to recorded broadcasts on the Spiler TV channel.
Fans in Latin America, the United States, Canada and France will be able to watch recorded versions of all the races through Motosport TV, while their OTT will broadcast the races live. Band Sports television extends its coverage of the FIM CEV Repsol by showing recorded versions of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship and Moto2™ European Championship.
Also joining TV coverage of the championship, the Edgesport Channel will air live all the Moto3™ Junior World Championship, Moto2™ European Championship and European Talent Cup races, as well as being available 24/7 on various platforms with coverage in Abu Dhabi, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Pacific Islands, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Solomon Island, Thailand and Vietnam.
In addition, in those countries without television coverage, all races will be broadcast live on the championship’s Youtube channel.
All the results and information about the Championship are on the official website: www.fimcevrepsol.com
More, from a press release issued by AGR Team:
EDGAR PONS WILL START FROM SECOND IN VALENCIA
Sixth row in Moto2 for Solis and sixth for García in Moto3
A month later, the FIM CEV Repsol resumes with its second round of the year at the Ricardo Tormo in Cheste (Valencia). With a different format than in Portugal four weeks ago, as it will be Josito García would will compete in two races in Moto3, while Edgar Pons and Benny Solís will only have one race in the Moto2 category.
Our best placed rider today was Edgar Pons. The Catalan rider made a jump forward in quality in Valencia, in a circuit he knows much better than the Estoril one. But the important thing is that he was in the positions he is supposed to have with his talent. Edgar will start from second, from a front row where there will also be a former European Champion, Jesko Raffin, who took the pole position. Pons was second in both Qualifying sessions, the first fastest than the second, although it was in the second one where the Catalan finished closer to the Swiss rider in time. It was then when the team refined the set up to better take the corner in which he had issues.
Meanwhile, Benny Solís continues his adaptation period, as he still lacks experience. During today’s Qualifying sessions, he was around three seconds behind the Pole Position time. And in both sessions his virtual grid position was sixth row. He will start from 16th and will be aiming to score some points.
In Moto3, Josito García improved his performance in the Qualifying in Portugal. He jumped up halfway and will start from sixth row. There are many riders, up to 43, and he has many of them behind. It will not be an easy race, but the rider from Valencia also reduced by a lot his disadvantage from the leaders. If he can improve some tenth tomorrow during the warm-up, he will have the chance to do a good performance at home.
Moto2 #57 Edgar Pons –Kalex / 2nd / 1.36.540 +0.431s: “It was a positive day, we’re starting from first row, in second place. We’d like to have the pole position. In the second Qualifying we improved the bike quite a bit, but we weren’t able to test it much because it started to rain. We finish the day happy because the Kalex works better. I’m looking forward to the warm-up and the race to be able to fight to be in front”.
Moto2 #35 Benny Solís –Kalex / 16th / 1.39.075 +2.966s: “Thursday we had a good day because we realized our biggest problems, so after a good work, we made our plan for Friday. The day was better today because we worked to put everything together in a fast lap. We still have some challenges because we have to create new habits and try to put them in the fast lap, but either way it was good because each time we tried something new, the times were dropping a little bit. Today we did our best lap, although it was done while making some mistakes. I think if we keep working in this direction, we’re going to become much stronger. I’m happy with today’s work and we’re going to keep working”.
Moto3 #20 Josito García García –KTM / 18th / 1.40.515 +1.161s: “We finish this Saturday with a better feeling and pace than on Friday. I still don’t feel as good with the Moto 3 as I’d like, but we’ll start from sixth row, which mean I’ll be behind the place I should, but I’ll try to improve tomorrow and get points in both races. I want to thank the team for their work and support. Let’s hope everything goes well tomorrow”.