Granado and González take last two titles in Valencia CEV finale
Eric Granado (Promoracing) and Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) were declared champions of the Moto2™ European Championship and the European Talent Cup respectively in the final round of the FIM CEV Repsol season, joining fellow champions Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship and Raul Martínez (Motorbike Moya Competition) of the European Kawasaki Z Cup.
Jaume Masiá (Cuna de Campeones) won the first Moto3™ race, his second consecutive victory of the season after winning in the last round at MotorLand Aragón. The Cuna de Campeones rider snatched victory in a thrilling overtaking manouevre in the last corner, leaving Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) and Vicente Pérez (Reale Avintia Academy) trailing.
The race was marked by a multiple crash on the first lap which brought out the red flag. The restarted race was reduced to 12 laps. Jaume Masiá (Cuna de Campeones), Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) and Aarón Polanco (Leopard Junior Team) formed an initial leading group, soon joined by Alonso López (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0), Kazuki Masaki (Asia Talent Team) joined ), Vicente Pérez (Reale Avintia Academy) and Sergio García (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0). Finally Jaume Masiá (Cuna de Campeones) took his chance in the last corner to win the race and the Repsol free fuel cheque.
In the second and final race of the season, Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) bid farewell to the Moto3™ JWC from the top of the podium. Alonso López (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and Jaume Masía (Cuna de Campeones) joined him on the podium after a four-way race along with Kazuki Masaki (Asia Talent Team).
Behind them, Sergio García (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and Jeremy Alcoba (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) led the chasing group but with little chance of the podium. Kazuki Masaki (Asia Talent Team) crashed out with five laps to go. Aarón Polanco (Leopard Junior Team) and Vicente Pérez (Reale Avintia academy), started out as possible challengers but fell on the second lap. In the end Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) took the win and the Repsol free fuel cheque. Jaume Masiá (Cuna de Campeones) finished the season as Moto3™ JWC runner-up.
Eric Granado (Promoracing) was crowned Moto2™ EC champion, winning the last race of the season and notching up his fifth win in a row at this circuit in the FIM CEV Repsol.
The Promoracing rider started from pole position with a 16-point advantage over Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike), who was hampered by a shoulder injury aggravated by a crash in the Moto2 World Championship just a week ago.
Joe Roberts (AGR Team) surprised the other riders by taking the lead of the race from the off, followed by Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T. Pro) and Hector Garzó (Team Wimu CNS), who started second ahead of Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike). Eric Granado (Promoracing) held fifth and the Team Stylobike rider seventh in the opening laps.
With the race more than halfway through, the Moto2™ EC leader overtook Steven Odendal (NTS Sportscode T. Pro) and then Joe Roberts (AGR Team) to take the lead. Three laps later Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike) abandoned the race because of his shoulder injury. Eric Granado (Promoracing) thus automatically became champion, no matter what happened.
In the end the new champion won the race, followed by Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T. Pro) and Joe Roberts (AGR Team), with Héctor Garzó (Team Wimu CNS) coming in a distant fourth. Daniel Saez (Champi-JJ Saez) was the best in SSTK 600 in the Moto2™ category and Steve Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T. Pro) was awarded the Repsol free fuel cheque.
In the ETC, Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) was proclaimed champion after finishing fifth in a race won by Alex Toledo (Cuna de Campeones) followed by Víctor Rodríguez (Group Machado CAME), debuting in the championship, and Andreas Pérez (Reale Avintia Academy). The only rider in a position to dispute the title with Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) although at a 20-point disadvantage, Meikon Kawakami (Playstation Laglisse), finished ninth.
As in the first Moto3™ race, this one was brought to a halt on the first lap with a red flag when Alexander Díez (Team Honda Impala) crashed; before him, poleman Francisco Gómez (Team Larresport) had gone down. The Team Larresport rider was forced to start from the pit lane in the restarted race, which became a tussle between up to 12 riders and which was not decided until the last corner. Alex Toledo (Cuna de Campeones) won, earning the runner-up position in the ETC and taking the Repsol free fuel cheque as winner of the race.
In the European KZC champion Raúl Martínez (Motorbike Moya Competition) dominated after Joan Sardanyons, who lead the race after starting from pole, crashed on the last lap.
Next season’s 2018 FIM CEV Repsol will start in Estoril on March 25.