FIM CEV Repsol, Round 2: García, Fernández, Raffin, Gómez, Patacca and Sardanyons win in Valencia

Sergio García (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and Raúl Fernández (Angel Nieto Team) in Moto3™, Jesko Raffin (Swiss Innovative Investors Junior) in Moto2™, Francisco Gómez (Larresport Bradol) and Matteo Patacca (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in the European Talent Cup, and Joan Sardanyons (Proelit) in the European Kawasaki Z Cup took wins in their respective categories in the second round of the FIM CEV Repsol this weekend at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valencia Ricardo Tormo.

Sergio García was the protagonist of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship today. The Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0 rider won the first race convincingly but in the second went down hard on the first lap causing the red flag to be brought out. In the first race of the day, Sergio García pulled away in front alone from the off and little by little increased his advantage over the chasing group of Celestino Vietti (SKY Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy), Jeremy Alcoba (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0), poleman Aleix Viu (Marinelli Sniper), Raúl Fernandez, Yuki Kunii (Asia Talent Team), Somkiat Chantra (AP Honda Racing Team) and Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team). Behind, Marc García (Max Racing Team) tried to catch up with the chasing group but fell on the third lap.

Ai Ogura and Celestino Vietti crashed out on the eleventh lap with Sergio García enjoying a four-second lead over Raúl Fernández and company. Aleix Viu, Jeremy Alcoba, Yuki Kunii and Raúl Fernández tussled for the remaining two podium places on the last lap with poleman Viu eventually finishing second ahead of Jeremy Alcoba. Raúl Fernández crossed the line in fourth, a result that placed him as provisional leader of the category. Sergio García took the Repsol free fuel cheque as winner of the race.

In the second Moto3™ race, Raúl Fernández nabbed his first win of the season, which makes him the current leader of the category, after a race interrupted on the first lap when Sergio García and Yari Montella crashed. The race was restarted, shortened to 12 laps. Aleix Viu, Celestino Vietti and Raúl Fernández pulled clear, but a sudden gust of wind put Vietti and Viu on the floor, leaving Fernández to head the race alone. Behind him Manuel Paglianni (Leopard Junior) was the best of the chasing group, with Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team), coming in third. The Angel Nieto Team rider was also awarded the Repsol free fuel cheque.

Jesko Raffin took advantage of his pole position to win the Moto2™ race with complete authority. The Swiss Innovative Investors Junior team rider took the lead immediately from the lights and pulled away, followed by Edgar Pons (AGR Team) and Lukas Tulovic (Team Wimu CNS), with Hector Garzó (Team Wimu CNS), Augusto Fernández ( Easyrace) and Dimas Ekky (Astra Honda Racing Team) somewhat further back. Lukas Tulovic fell on the fifth lap while Edgar Pons found himself baulked by lapped riders. Jesko Raffin pulled away to cross the finish line more than seven seconds ahead of the AGR Team rider and Augusto Fernández, who took advantage of a mistake by Hector Garzó with three laps to go to get onto the podium. Jesko Raffin consolidated his leadership with a victory that also brought him the Repsol free fuel cheque. David Sanchís (Easyrace M2) finished as the best classified rider in the Superstock 600 category.

The first ETC race was dramatic, with Francisco Gómez taking victory and accompanied on the podium by Víctor Rodríguez (Laglisse Academy) and Daniel Holgado (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) after the race was brought to a close four laps early by a red flag due to a multiple fall. Xavier Artigas (Team Impala), Adrián Fernández (Ajo Academy) and Víctor Rodríguez initially led the race ahead of a group formed by riders such as Julián Giral (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0.0), Daniel Holgado, Adrián Huertas (Reale Avintia Blumaq) and Peetu Paavilainen (H42 Team Nobby-Blumaq), among others.

The front riders were eventually caught by Julián Giral and company to form a large front group all fighting for the win. In the end Francisco Gómez took the victory that brought him the leadership of the category and also the Repsol free fuel cheque as the winner of the race.

Italian rider Matteo Patacca surprised everyone in the second race of the ETC by taking the victory after starting from the sixth line of the grid, with Peetu Paavilainen – who also started well back – finishing second and David Salvador (Cuna de Campeones) crossing the line in third. Adrián Fernández failed to make the podium although he competed hard for a top place along with other riders such as poleman Daniel Muñoz (Jerez Andalucía Motor Talent), who finished fourth on his debut after his twelfth birthday on Saturday allowed him to reach the minimum age to contest the ETC. Matteo Patacca was awarded the Repsol free fuel cheque as the race winner.

In the European Kawasaki Z Cup, Joan Sardanyons (Proelit) took victory in the first race of the season and is current leader ahead of Abián Santana (Bermodel Racing) and Javier Valera (Racing Albacete).

The next round of the FIM CEV Repsol – only for the Moto3™ category – will take place at Le Mans on May 19, coinciding with the MotoGP™ World Championship round. All the categories will be back on the 9th and 10th of June in Barcelona.