The FIM CEV Repsol is back in action after seven thrilling races in the last round in Jerez on 30 September. This weekend the Circuit de Albacete hosts the penultimate event of the season, in which the Moto2™ European Championship title could be decided. In this round, the race program consists of two Moto2™ races and one race in Moto3™ and the European Talent Cup.
Angel Nieto Team rider Raúl Fernández will have another chance to increase his 32-point advantage in the Moto3™ Junior World Championship table. Closest rival Manuel Pagliani (Leopard Junior) will be fighting him all the way, as we have seen in recent races, along with Yuki Kunii (Asia Talent Team), who notched up his first victory in Jerez and is third overall, 57 points adrift of the leader. Sergio García (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and Jeremy Alcoba (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) are the only other riders who have a shot at the title, trailing the leader by 59 points with just 75 points left in play.
In the Moto2™ European Championship, Jesko Raffin (Swiss Innovative Investors Junior) has a margin of 47 points over Edgar Pons (AGR Team) in second place. The AGR Team rider has no intention of throwing in the towel, however. In the last race at Jerez he claimed his third consecutive victory followed by the championship leader and Tommasso Marcon (Team Ciatti) who got onto the podium for the first time this season. Jesko Raffin could claim the title in Albacete in the first of the two races this weekend, needing only another four points over Edgar Pons to once again take the Moto2™ title. In Superstock 600, Roman Fischer (Pinamoto) leads the standings with 144 points against the 124 of second-place rider Alessandro Zetti (Fau55 Racing).
Xavier Artigas (Honda Impala) arrives in Albacete as the new leader of the ETC. The Honda Impala rider added two new podiums in Jerez, where Matteo Bertelle (SIC 58 Squadra Corse) chalked up a spectacular double. Víctor Rodríguez has been moving up the table and is in second spot, 21 points adrift of the leader. Behind him, things are tight, with David Salvador (Cuna de Campeones) third, 30 points behind Xavier Artigas, Matteo Pattacca (SIC 58 Squadra Corse) fourth on 36 points, Matteo Bertelle fifth on 39 and José Antonio Rueda (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) holds sixth place, 40 points behind the leader. The fight for the title and to take over from reigning champion Manuel González is between these six riders, with just two races left in the ETC series, in Albacete and in Valencia.
Next Sunday’s race schedule is as follows:
Moto2™ Race 1 (20 laps): 11.00
ETC (18 laps): 12.00
Moto3™ (19 laps): 13.00
Moto2™ Race 2 (20 laps): 14.00
Cuna de Campeones (11 laps): 15.00
Dani Rivas Cup (8 laps): 15.45