Repsol FIM CEV Series: Benny Solis Finishes 10th In Moto2, Brandon Paasch DNF In Moto3 At Valencia

Repsol FIM CEV Series: Benny Solis Finishes 10th In Moto2, Brandon Paasch DNF In Moto3 At Valencia

© 2018, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Xavi Artigas crowned European Talent Cup Champion

The final round of the 2018 FIM CEV Repsol season at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo saw victories for Japanese rider Ai Ogura and Sergio García in the Moto3™ Junior World Championship, Edgar Pons in the Moto2™ European Championship, Víctor Rodríguez in the European Talent Cup and Abián Santana in the European Kawasaki Z Cup.

Xavier Artigas in the ETC and Abián Santana in the EKZC were proclaimed champions and have joined those already confirmed: Raúl Fernández in Moto3™ and Jesko Raffin in Moto2™.

The first Moto3™ race was decided among the four riders who were able to stay on the track in the front group. Japanese rider Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team) and Spaniards Aleix Viu (Marinelli), Jeremy Alcoba (Estrella Galicia) and Raúl Fernández (Ángel Nieto Team) fought for the podium positions after falls by poleman Yuki Kunii (Asia Talent Team), Italian rider Yari Montella (SIC58) and the Kazakh rider Makar Yurchenko (Laglisse Academy). After leading for a lap and a half, champion Raul Fernandez decided to play safe for a podium finish, leaving Ogura and Alcoba to fight for the victory. The Japanese rider took the lead in the final corner and crossed the line to win, with Alcoba coming in second.

After the race Fernández commented: “I wanted the victory, but more than anything I wanted to celebrate the title on the podium so I decided to play it safe. It has been a good championship; right from the start of the season we have been very consistent and the whole team has been very close. We have overcome some difficult moments and have kept on learning. This title and the being on the same list as Maverick Viñales, Álex Rins or Álex Márquez gives me a lot of confidence for the future.”

Sergio García (Estrella Galicia) won the second race and says goodbye to the event in which he achieved four victories this season before moving on to the World Championship. García earned the runner-up position in Moto3™ after passing the finish line in first place, a lap before a red flag brought the race to a close due to the fall of Indonesian rider Garry Salim (Astra Honda). In second place came Ai Ogura, completing an almost perfect weekend, followed by Turkish rider Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM), the youngest ever winner of a World Championship race in the recent Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.

Garcia admitted to being “Very happy, because I thought it was going to be really tough starting from 17th on the grid, so it’s a great way to say goodbye to the championship. I’m already really looking forward to the next stage of my career.”

Xavi Artigas, European Talent Cup Champion

The ETC title – for the youngest riders of the FIM CEV Repsol – was decided in a two-part race, after the race was interrupted after a fall in the Nico Terol Curve: Alejandro Díez (Honda Impala) had to receive emergency treatment right at the edge of the track, which forced the Circuit Ricardo Tormo authorities to bring out the red flag. In the resumption, a sprint of only 5 laps, Víctor Rodríguez (Laglisse) dominated the last lap and crossed the line just ahead of José Antonio Rueda (Estrella Galicia) and Adrián Fernández (Ajo Motorsport), younger brother of the Moto3™ JWCh champion,

Behind, in fifth place, came Xavi Artigas (Honda Impala), carefully calculating the points to take the ETC title by five points over Rodríguez and 24 over Ricardo Tormo Circuit School rider David Salvador (Cuna de Campeones). Xavier Artigas succeeds Manuel González as champion of the popular ETC, which this year celebrates its second running.

Pons dominates in Moto2™

The Moto2™ EC race was a head-to-head duel between two riders with World Championship experience. With six laps to go, poleman Edgar Pons (AGR) pulled away from Valencian Hector Garzo (Team Wimu CNS) who had led the race until then to take the victory. The tussle for third place was one of the attractions of this final race, involving Marc Alcoba (Dynavolt Intanct), Tommaso Marcon (Team Ciatti) and the already proclaimed European champion, Swiss rider Jesko Raffin (Easy Race). Finally, Alcoba and the Italian Marcon crossed the line in an unsportsmanlike manner and were sanctioned, so in the end the champion Raffin accompanied Pons and Garzó on the Cheste podium.

Abián Santana took the victory and the European Kawasaki Z Cup title. Starting from pole position the rider from the Canaries rode comfortably to reach the finish line well ahead of his rivals to take the title. Óscar Ibáñez and David Vázquez accompanied him on the podium.

The full races can be seen again here.

We would like to remind press and teams that in the next few hours, more photos of each FIM CEV Repsol race will be available in the photo gallery and the FTPaccessible from this press release.

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 CLOSED THE SEASON WITH A WIN!

The Argiñano & Ginés Racing Team finished the year with four riders in Valencia

The Argiñano & Ginés Racing Team rider, Edgar Pons, achieved today at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste his objective to win the Moto2 race of the last round of the 2018 European Championship. The Catalan rider finishes as runner-up with four victories, one more than the Champion, Jesko Raffin. Edgar deployed a smart strategy and was able to win without any surprises. Meanwhile, his team mate Benny Solís, still with back pain, has been all race around the top 10 and, although complaining about lack of grid, was able to finish satisfied. In fact, he finished 12th, but the disqualifying of two riders allowed him to get his best result.

Moto2 #57 Edgar Pons –Kalex / 1st: “It was a positive race, with a good start and soon two of us were able to build an advantage. It was difficult to ride with the high wind and that is why I decided to stay behind Garzó to study the situation. A few laps before the end I passed him and built a bit of space until the Finish line. I’m happy to finish the day like this. I want to thank the team and the AGR family for a job well done. About the Championship, it was a pity about Estoril, because after that we showed our potential with a good team work. We’ll keep training to be in the best possible shape”.

Moto2 #35 Benny Solís –Kalex / 10th: “Firstly, I want to thank the AGR and all its members for this season. I learnt a lot, specially this last weekend. In today’s race I had some problems with the Kalex that forced me to change my riding style to set a good pace. I didn’t finish where I wanted, but I learnt how to push in another way and that’s important for the future”.

Moto2 FIM CEV REPSOL race in Valencia.

2018 Moto2 FIM CEV REPSOL Final Classification.

Meanwhile, in Moto3, our two riders, Iñigo Iglesias and Brandon Paasch, must be congratulated for their tenacity. None of them finished the first race. Iñigo showed his determination and made a good impression on the team, where he arrived with the now finished season already advanced. If he improves his starts, he will get good results. Meanwhile, Paasch arrived injured in Valencia, but endured the whole weekend. He crashed in the first race due to a cold tyre and the consequences of that crash didn’t allow him to do more than two laps in the second race.

Moto3 #58 Iñigo Iglesias –KTM / DNF /25th: “During the first race I felt well, with a good start and good passes. Conditions were difficult, with wind, but I felt well, and I was able to get to 21st after starting 35th. But three laps from the end I lost control of the front tyre and I crashed, but I insist, I felt well and set good times. In the second race it was similar, overtaking consistently until I finished 25th. I leave Valencia happy, and very grateful to the team and the sponsors for their support”.

Moto3 #90 Brandon Paasch –KTM / DNF/ DNF.

Moto3 FIM CEV REPSOL race 1 in Valencia.

Moto3 FIM CEV REPSOL race 2 in Valencia.

2018 Moto3 FIM CEV REPSOL Final Classification.

Another exciting race season is finished. The Argiñano & Ginés Racing Team wants to thank riders and technicians for the job done this season, which allowed us to keep being one of the reference teams of the FIM CEV Repsol, with podiums and victories. We want to improve the level for 2019. Thank you also to all the fans that follow us in the circuits and the social media, you’re your support. Be happy and eat with a good foundation. See you soon!

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