FIM CEV Repsol approaches finishing straight with all to be decided – Jerez Round preview
After a long summer, the FIM CEV Repsol returns to action in Jerez with none of the titles resolved. After this weekend there are only two more rounds: Albacete on 13 and 14 October and Valencia on 24 and 25 November. This weekend Jerez will be the scene of the sixth round of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship and the fifth round of the Moto2™ European Championship and European Talent Cup, since they did not run at Le Mans. The European Kawasaki Z Cup also returns to the fray.
Raúl Fernández (Angel Nieto Team) arrives as comfortable leader of Moto3™ after his narrow victory in the last round at MotorLand Aragón, where he won by just six thousandths over Jeremy Alcoba Junior (Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) in a race in which Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) achieved his first podium in the category. Raúl Fernández scored 25 points on a day when Manuel Pagliani (Leopard Junior), second in the standings and now 26 points behind the leader, crashed out when he was hit by a rival.
Third overall in the Moto3™ JWCh is Jeremy Alcoba (Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) 41 points adrift while his teammate Sergio Garcia is fourth, trailing by 53 points, more than two race wins behind the leader.
In Moto2™, Jesko Raffin (Swiss Innovative Investors Junior) has 50 points advantage over his immediate rival Edgar Pons (AGR Team), since Augusto Fernández is actually second but is now competing in the Moto2™ World Championship. In fact, the Swiss Innovative Investors Junior team rider will alternate his participation in the Moto2™ ECh with the World Championship with Team Temporary Lavorint SAG.
A great tussle in Jerez is certain after Edgar Pons won the last two races at MotorLand Aragón, trailed by Jesko Raffin and Hector Garzo (Wimu CNS), with identical podiums in the two races. The Swiss Innovative Investors Junior rider will be looking for a win to stop Edgar Pons’ winning streak and reaffirm his position as category leader. Roman Fischer (Pinamoto RS) is the leader in Superstock 600 with 19 points over Alessandro Zetti (Fau55 Racing).
In the ETC, Matteo Patacca (SIC 58 Squadra Corse) returns to the track after being unable to ride at MotorLand due to injury. Even so, he arrives in Jerez as joint leader on 82 points with Xavier Artigas (Honda Impala). The co-leader of the category is on good form after earning a new podium in Aragón in the first race and finishing fifth in the second, adding 31 points in total that have jumped him up the classification. Third is Víctor Rodríguez (Laglisse Academy) only four points behind the two leaders while Julián Giral (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) is fourth, trailing by 15 points.
In the EKZC, Joan Sardanoys (Proelit) is the man to watch: he leads the championship with 60 points while Javier Valera (Racing for Albacete) is second on 38.5 and Abian Ángel Santana (Bermodel Racing) third on 38. In Jerez there will be two races, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday.
The program for this weekend in Jerez is two races for the Moto3™ and ETC categories and in one in Moto2™.
Next Sunday’s race schedule is as follows (local time):
Moto3™ Race 1 (16 laps): 11.00
ETC Race 1 (15 laps): 12.00
Moto2™ (17 laps): 13.00
Moto3™ Race 2 (16 laps): 14.00
ETC Race 2 (15 laps): 15.00
European Kawasaki Z Cup (16 laps): 16.00
As usual, entrance to the paddock will be free over the weekend. In addition, FIM CEV Repsol fans will be able to take part in the Pit Lane Walk on Sunday. Passes can be obtained from the main paddock entrance from 9.00 onwards. Only 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 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™ JWCh, Moto2™ ECh and ETC, as does BT Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Italy, Sky will broadcast live the Moto3™ JWCh and Moto2™ ECh races.
Eurosport, through Eurosportplayer (France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Romania), will also offer live coverage of all of the Moto3™ JWCh and Moto2™ ECh and ETC 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 ETC 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™ JWCh and Moto2™ ECh. Also joining TV coverage of the championship, the Edgesport Channel will air live all the Moto3™ JWCh and Moto2™ ECh and ETC 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.
