FIM CEV: qualifying contested in Albacete, as the time for the attribution of titles approaches…

The FIM CEV Repsol championship will experience a decisive day this Sunday during which Jesko Raffin (Swiss Innovative Investors Junior) could take the title of European Moto2 champion™ against Edgar Pons (Team AGR) who will start in pole position. Raul Fernandez (Angel Nieto Team) in Moto3™ and Alex Millan (Aro Racing) in the European Talent Cup will also lead their respective starting grids in this penultimate round of the championship which takes place this weekend on the circuit of 'Albacete.

Today, the Albacete track was faster this morning than this afternoon. From then on, whether in Moto3, Moto2 or European Talent Cup, the morning's times determined the different starting grids.

En Moto3, Raul Fernandez (KTM, Angel Nieto Team) will start from pole position for the first time this season. The leader of the FIM CEV championship and future World Cup driver for Angel Nieto Team, achieved the best time of the day with a time of 1'33.843, being the only driver able to go below the 1'34 mark. .

Jeremy Alcove et Sergio Garcia, both defending the colors of Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0, complete the first row of the grid on their Honda. As a reminder, Sergio Garcia will also join the Grands Prix next year, under the same colors.

Raul fernandez

Italian Manuel Pagliani (Honda, Leopard Junior), second in the general classification with 32 points, will start tenth on the grid knowing that he must not concede more than 19 points to his Spanish opponent, otherwise he will be eliminated from the title race. .

A little further on the grid (13th), we will also be interested in the races of Tom Booth-Amos, future CIP GreenPower pilot next year, Celestine Vietti, qualified 17th and integrated Valentino Rossi's Moto3 structure in 2019, and Kevin Zannoni, very recent Italian Moto3 Champion riding his TM.

Note again the presence of the Belgian Barry Baltus (21st) and Switzerland Jason Dupasquier (29th) on a grid comprising no less than 38 competitors.

En Moto2™, Edgar Pons (cover photo) left no chance to his rivals and dominated the two qualifying sessions by taking pole position in the morning in 1'31.945. The AGR team driver will start first on the grid for the third time in a row, followed this time by Héctor Garzo (Tech3, Team Wimu CNS) and Jesko Raffin (Kalex, Swiss Innovative Investors Junior). A strong performance despite a sword of Damocles hanging over his head, with Jesko Raffin needing just four points more than the pole holder in the first of this Sunday's two races to become European Moto2 champion ™ for the second time.

Jesko Raffin

Note the presence of Andorran Xavier Cardelus, 10st and future Angel Nieto Team driver next year, as well as French Cedric Tangre, 16th aboard his Mistral 610.

Alex Millan (Aro Racing) took his first pole position in European Talent Cup with an absolute best time of 1'37.044 achieved during the morning session. In fact, in the six rounds of this category this season, there has not been the same pole sitter twice.

Alex Millan

He precedes the championship leader Xavier Artigas (Honda Impala) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0.0).

The Honda Impala team driver also has his chances of becoming ETC champion in Albacete since he leads the category 21 points ahead Victor Rodriguez (Ikono Motorbike Laglisse), who will start fifth with only 50 points left to be awarded. Whatever the results of its competitors, Xavier Artigas will therefore be champion if he wins the race, which would be his first victory of the season, while six drivers still have mathematical possibilities in the fight for the title.

On the French side, and in the absence of Clement Rougé who is having surgery, Lorenzo Fellon will start from 19th place on the grid, Gabin Planques 33e.

Note that Matteo Bertelle, winner at Jerez, was then penalized 12 places for driving too slowly during qualifying, as was david savior for technical modifications to its air box.