Eric Granado (Promoracing, photo1) 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.
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 picture on the starting grid, from left, Mr Oscar Gallardo, Dorna CEV Director, Dr Wolfgang Srb, FIM Europe President, Mrs Amparo Porto, Dorna Senior Director Talent Promotion, Mr Alessandro Sambuco, FIM Europe Secretary General, and Mr Jean Marc Desnues, FIM Europe Vice President
In the European Talent Cup, 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 (in photo3, the podium of the European Talent Cup).
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.
All the race results and information about the Championship is on the official website: www.fimcevrepsol.com
