Crunch time: Albacete hosts penultimate FIM CEV round

Moto3™ Junior World Championship and Moto2™ European Championship could be decided this weekend at the Circuito de Albacete

This weekend the Circuito de Albacete hosts the seventh and decisive round of the FIM CEV Repsol with a program consisting of one race in the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship and the European Talent Cup, and two races in the Moto2™ European Championship. In the previous round of the FIM CEV Repsol Izan Guevara (Cuna de Campeones) took the ETC title; Edgar Pons (Baiko Racing Team) might do the same in Moto2™ this Sunday in Albacete. In the Moto3™ category everything is still to play for, although leader Jeremy Alcoba (Laglisse Academy) will have his first chance to become the new champion.

Carlos Tatay (Andreas Perez 77 Foundation) will be the man to beat after his performance in the last round of the FIM CEV Repsol in the Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto where he took a spectacular double. However, leader Jeremy Alcoba is in a strong position to secure the championship. The Laglisse Academy rider is 37 points ahead of Carlos Tatay and 40 points ahead of Xavier Artigas (Leopard Impala Junior). Barry Baltus (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) in fourth place is also involved in the fight for the title, 49 points behind the leader.

Alcoba has a chance to take the title in Albacete if he wins and Tatay and Artigas finish fifth or worse; the other combinations have to result in Alcoba finishing the race more than 51 points ahead of Tatay and 50 ahead of Artigas, since after Albacete only 50 points remain in play with the two races in Valencia.

Edgar Pons’ situation in Moto2™ European Championship is clearer. The Baiko Racing Team rider arrives in Albacete heading the general classification with a 53-point advantage over Hector Garzo (CNS Motorsport). This weekend there are two races on Sunday and then there is only the final race in Valencia. In addition, Pons dominated in Jerez to convincingly beat Garzo, riding impressively throughout the weekend. Victory for Pons in the first race would earn him the Moto2™ European Championship title regardless of Garzo’s result. In Superstock 600, Alexandro Zetti (FAU55 Racing) will defend his status as leader of the category against Joan Díaz Corbella (DCR Racing Team), 25 points behind.

In the ETC, Izan Guevara will ride as champion after taking the title in the previous round in Jerez where he won the first race and sealed the championship in the second by finishing third behind Diogo Moreira (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0.0). Moreira earned his first victory of the season, and David Alonso (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) returned to the podium, moving up to second position in the ranking with 102 points. Tied in third place on 93 points are Ivan Ortola (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) and Fermin Aldeguer (Bester Capital Dubai). Jose Antonio Rueda (Talent Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) is fifth on 87 points.

The schedule for next Sunday’s races 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
- ETC Series 2 (18 laps) 15.00
- Cuna de Campeones (11 laps) 16.00
- Dani Rivas Cup (8 laps) 16.50

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