Editorial Note: American Benny Solis, riding his Baiko Racing Team Kalex, finished 22nd in Moto2 Race One and DNF Moto2 Race Two.

Decisive victories in Barcelona

Carlos Tatay (Fundación Andreas Pérez 77) and Jeremy Alcoba (Laglisse Academy) shared the victories in the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship, while Edgar Pons (Baiko Racing Team) took a double in the Moto2™ European Championship in the fourth round of the FIM CEV Repsol this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. In the European Talent Cup, Izan Guevara (Cuna de Campeones) posted his third consecutive victory, taking the lead in the category, as did Alcoba and Pons, winners in Barcelona and leaders of Moto3™ and Moto2™ respectively.

The first race of the FIM Moto3™ JWCh was marked by an interruption on the third lap after Izam Ikmal (SIC Junior Team) went down. After the red flag, the shortened ten-lap race restarted and became effectively a sprint. Aleix Viu (Sama Qatar Ángel Nieto Team), Xavier Artigas (Leopard Impala Junior Team), Denis Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Carlos Tatay, Jeremy Alcoba (Laglisse Academy) and Barry Baltus (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) once again formed the leading group. On the sixth lap Viu crashed taking Artigas and Öncü with him, leaving all three out of the race. Ahead, Baltus, Tatay and Alcoba fought for the podium positions.

In the end Alcoba crossed the finish line first ahead of Tatay and Baltus; however, the Laglisse Academy rider suffered a 1.6 second penalty after cutting turns 1 and 2. Carlos Tatay thus took his first victory in the FIM Moto3™ JWCh followed by Baltus and Alcoba who ended up third. After the race Tatay dedicated the victory to Andreas Pérez, the rider who lost his life a year ago at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Behind came Gerard Riu (Baiko Racing Team), Daniel Holgado (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and David Salvador (Cuna de Campeones), who made a great comeback from 22nd on the grid to finish sixth. The winner of the race earned the Repsol free fuel cheque.

In the second race of the FIM Moto3™ JWCh Jeremy Alcoba got his revenge, achieving his first victory of the season. Aleix Viu had a mechanical problem on the warm-up lap and was unable to make the start. Deniz Öncü took charge of the race in the opening laps along with a leading group formed by Baltus, Alcoba, Tatay, Stefano Nepa (Fundación Andreas Pérez 7), Artigas, Ryusai Yamanaka (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and Riu. Behind, Adrián Fernández (Laglisse Academy) led the chasing group.

A collision between Öncü, Yamanaka and Tatay in the middle of a curve with eight laps to go broke up the leading group. Alcoba, Baltus and Artigas pulled clear while behind Tatay, Yamanaka, Riu, Nepa and Öncü attempted an impossible comeback, eventually crossing the finish line in that order. With Alcoba winning, Baltus again took second and Artigas added a valuable third place. Alcoba received the Repsol free fuel cheque.

With his second victory in the FIM CEV Repsol, and the first of this season, Alcoba is now leader in the FIM Moto3™ JWCh with 98 points. Baltus is second 6 points behind and Yuki Kunii, who was leader but was unable to ride in Barcelona, is third on 70 points. Artigas, champion of the ETC in 2018 and rookie to watch this season is in fourth position just one point behind Kunii.

The first Moto2™ ECh race was also interrupted by a red flag when Leon Orgis (Redding – Pinamoto RS) fell on the second lap while Edgar Pons and Héctor Garzó (CNS Motorsport) were out clear in front. The accident left liquid on the track forcing officials to temporarily suspend the race. The second race was set at 11 laps. Pons went straight back into the lead, followed by Yari Montella (Team Ciatti – Speed Up), Niki Tuuli (Team Stylobike), Héctor Garzó, Alessandro Zaccone (Promoracing) and Anupab Sarmoon (VR46 Master Camp Academy).

Pons gradually pulled further away, followed by Montella and Garzó. Behind, Zaccone went down as he fought with Tuuli. Meanwhile, Garzó passed Montella in the duel for second place. Pons crossed the line alone to win his second race in a row ahead of the CNS Motorsport rider while Montella finished third, earning his first podium of the season. Tuuli was fourth ahead of Sarmoon. Alessandro Zetti (FAU55 El Señor de las bolsas) ended up as the best classified in Superstock 600. Pons took the Repsol free fuel cheque, in addition to consolidating his leadership with a new victory.

In the second Moto2™ ECh race Pons dealt another decisive blow to his rivals by adding his second victory of the day, the third in a row, crossing the finish line once again alone ahead of Tuuli and Zaccone. The leader of the category repeated the script of the first race, pulling clear followed by Tuuli with Garzó further back. With 11 laps to go, Garzó overtook Tuuli but three laps later Montella crashed out in a braking maneuver taking Héctor Garzó down with him. Pons took the flag, Tuuli came second and Zaccone finished third. However, Zaccone was penalized for exceeding track limits and Tomaso Marcon, who finished fourth, became the third rider on the podium, followed by Andi Farid (Astra Honda Racing Team), Marcel Brenner (Kiefer Racing) and Miquel Pons (H43 Team Nobby Talasur-Blumaq).

Pons was awarded the Repsol free fuel cheque and left the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with an even stronger hold on Moto2™ ECh. He has 111 points compared with the 78 of Tulli, Marcon’s 59 and Zaccone’s 57 points. Alessandro Zetti once again was the best in Superstock 600 and is the clear leader of the category.

In the ETC, Izan Guevara chalked up his third consecutive victory after starring in a thrilling duel with Fermín Aldeguer (Bester Capital Dubai). Guevara pulled away alone from the start but was chased down by Aldeguer who took with him Daijiro Sako (Cuna de Campeones), Lorenzo Fellon (ZF Grand Prix School), Alex Millán (Aro Racing) and José Antonio Rueda (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0,0).

With eight laps to go, Aldeguer caught Guevara and they waged an intense struggle while behind them the chasing group fought for the last place on the podium. In the end Guevara held off Aldeguer, who added his second consecutive second place finish, and Daijiro Sako took the podium for the first time this season. The Repsol free fuel cheque went to Guevara, now 29 points ahead of Aldeguer and 33 clear of Ivan Ortolá (Sama Qatar Ángel Nieto Team), third in the general classification of the ETC.

The fifth round of the FIM CEV Repsol will take place at the MotorLand Aragón circuit on July 14.

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 FTP accessible from this press release.

All the results and information about the Championship are on the official website: www.fimcevrepsol.com