[European Talent Cup Final] José Rueda dominates qualifying

Totaling 19 points ahead, Xavier Artigas, born May 27, 2003 in Sant Andreu De La Barca, is clearly the leader of the ETC with 129 points. But he must be careful because second place is the subject of a close fight between Victor Rodriguez (110 points) and David Salvador (108) who can still snatch the supreme title.

There are 18 Spanish drivers among the top 25, which doesn't leave much room for others, among which only the two Italians Matthew Patacca et Matteo Bertelle managed to do well with 4th and 5th positions (79 and 78 points respectively). On the French side, Lorenzo Fellon is 15th with 41 points and Clement Rougé 26th with 14 points. The Belgian Barry Baltus is good 10th with 54 units.

This weekend, 53 competitors presented themselves for the qualifying sessions of the European Talent Cup, and the organizers logically divided them into two groups. To compose the starting grid, they avoided that so that all the drivers of a session contested in the dry precede those of the other run in the wet, the pole went to the fastest of the 2 sessions, then to the 1st of the another session, then at the 2nd of the 1st session, etc.

In the first session of Group A, Daniel Holgado ahead of the Championship leader in 1'45.022 Xavier Artigas. They were the first to ride this Saturday morning, and as always in Valencia the track was a little dusty at dawn. Clement Rougé was brilliant fifth and Vincent Falcone thirteenth.

Results of the first qualifying session Group A:

Driving conditions improved for Group B, which allowed Jose Rueda to set the best time in 1'44.359. He preceded Fermin Aldeguer et Victor Rodriguez. Lorenzo Fellon (Laurent's son) ranked good sixth.

Results of the first qualifying session Group B:

As the track was gradually cleaned by the passage of numerous competitors and the temperature increased, the times continued to drop on the Ricardo Tormo circuit. The best time established so far by Jose Rueda in 1'44.359 was beaten by his teammate Estrella Galicia Julian Giral in 1'43.489. The third driver of this team, Daniel Hogado, took the third time of this second session of group A in 1'43.808, with interspersed between Julian Giral and he is the leader of the Championship Xavier Artigas in second position with a time of 1'43.673.

The French remained grouped with Clement Rougé twelfth and Vincent Falcone thirteenth, then a little further Gabin Planques twentieth.

Results of the second qualifying session Group A:

In the very last session and thanks to a final effort, Jose Rueda took pole position in 1'43.340, thus improving the best time previously held by Julian Giral in 1'43.489. Rueda preceded Fermin Aldeguer, driver of the Bester Capital Dubai team, by 0.045. Rodriguez followed in third, ahead of Fernandez and Millan. Lorenzo Fellon confirmed his good intentions in the morning with the sixth fastest time in Group B.

Results of the second qualifying session Group B: