No points for the Aussies after tough CEV outing at Valencia

2021 FIM CEV Repsol – Circuit Ricardo Tormo
Round 2

Valencia played host to the second running of the FIM CEV Repsol championship over the weekend, with epic racing and hard fought battles across the day’s five races.

In the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship, riders enjoyed their first double-header of the year and it was Daniel Holgado (Aspar Junior Team) who took both wins, although he had to fight for it.

In comparison, Aussie Harrison Voight’s weekend was ended early, after being taken out in Moto3 qualifying, leaving him with a fractured collarbone to contend with. It proved a challenging weekend for all Aussies in the Moto3 class.

Harrison Voight

“Gutted to say the least, that unfortunately I’m unfit for the remainder of the weekend. Unfortunately during qualifying one, I was taken out on the straight and have walked away with a fractured collarbone… Sorry to the team, Stephanie Redman and everyone else who supports me. Thank you to Billy Van Eerde for avoiding me, the injury could have been worse if you hadn’t… It is what it is and now it’s time to recover.”

In the Moto2 European Championship, Fermin Aldeguer (Boscoscuro Talent Team-Ciatti) made it a hat-trick in 2021 with another win.

There was two more first-time winners in the Hawkers European Talent Cup, with Race 1 spoils going to 12-year-old Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and then in Race 2, Alvaro Carpe (MT-Foundation 77).

Aussie Jacob Roulstone proved strong in the ETC class, finishing 12-6 across the two races.

FIM Moto3

The FIM Moto3 JWCh action was as fierce as ever with Race 1 providing a thrilling showdown between the heavyweights of the class, despite morning rain making the track patchy.

Despite a late-race moment that saw him drop to third, Daniel Holgado fought back to take victory with a dramatic final corner pass on Takuma Matsuyama (Asia Talent Team), denying the Japanese rider his first win. Diogo Moreira (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) completed the podium, giving Brazil a first podium in the class. Also of note is second-placed Takuma Matsuyama being set to make his Moto3 debut in the SHARK Grand Prix de France.

Having run in the top three for much of the race, Ivan Ortola (Team MTA) was pushed back to sixth, finishing behind David Muñoz (Avatel – Cardoso Racing) and his teammate Daniel Muñoz.

Billy van Eerde and Joel Kelso from the Australian contingent both recorded not classified results four and 10 laps off race distance respectively with Billy forced to retire, while Senna Agius was not able to compete.

In Race 2, it was more of the same, although a red flag was shown after a Lap 1 incident between Alessandro Morosi (Laglisse Academy) and teammate Filippo Farioli. There was more drama at the start of Race 2’s restart as Daniel Muñoz took out teammate David Muñoz on the exit of Turn 11 on Lap 1.

As the race settled down, it was a familiar trio at the front with Daniel Holgado leading ahead of Diogo Moreira and Ivan Ortola. Great late-race pace from Jose Julian Garcia (SIC58 Squadra Corse) also put him in the mix.

Holgado made it a magical hat-trick with another win, while Garcia held off Ortola as they completed the podium; Moreira crashed out on the last lap at Turn 12 but was able to walk away.

Daniel Holgado 1-1

“It’s one of the best weekends of my life. I am very happy with these two victories; I had a good pace and I have proven to be one of the strongest riders throughout the weekend. In the first race I tried to break the group, but I couldn’t. I tried it again towards the end and almost fell, but I came back again, I caught the riders in front and I won the race. In the second, the track was more complicated, but I am happy with the sensations. I want to thank my team for their work.”

It was a better Race 2 for the Aussies, with Senna Agius finishing 17th, while Billy Van Eerde was 20th.

Billy Van Eerde DNF-20

“Today it was very difficult for me to be comfortable with the bike and it makes me sad because the team is working hard, thanks to all of them. Now to think about the next race and to renew forces.”

The Championship standings now show Holgado on a perfect 75 points, ahead of David Salvador (TM Factory Racing Team) in second, Ortola in third and Indonesia’s Mario Aji (Astra Honda Racing Team) in fourth. Harrison Voight is the top Australian in the Moto3 standings on four-points.

FIM Moto3 Round 2 Results

European Moto2

The Moto2 European Championship was just as intriguing, although a red flag also came out after the first few laps of the race for an accident involving Leon Orgis (Avintia Esponsorama Junior Team).

On the restart, it was Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro Talent Team-Ciatti) who grabbed the holeshot ahead of Taiga Hada (AGR Team), but soon enough 16-year-old sensation (Boscoscuro Talent Team-Ciatti) carved his way through to cruise to a third victory from his first three races, while Lopez was once again second.

Pushing to third and finding a breakthrough under the Valencian sun was Adam Norrodin (Liqui Moly Intact SIC Racing Team), as the Malaysian took a second podium of the year. Top Superstock 600 honours went to Alex Escrig (FAU55 TEY Racing) once again.

In the main title race, Aldeguer, Lopez and Norrodin are the top three with 75, 60 and 45 points respectively.

European Moto2 Round 2 Results

ETC

HETC provided more intense action as the class took the track in the morning for their first race, and it was a third different winner in as many races as 12-year-old Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) stunned everyone from 14th on the grid.

The Spanish sensation picked his way through the order to eventually hit the front. Second place went to pole-sitter Hugo Millan (Cuna de Campeones) who grabbed the Championship lead, while third place belonged to his teammate Xabi Zurutuza, after Maximo Martinez (Team Honda Laglisse) received a post-race penalty for a previous infringement.

It was a disaster for Alvaro Carpe (MT-Foundation 77), who after leading most of the race and starting third, retired with mechanical issues.

Australia’s Jacob Roulstone finished 12th.

HETC Race 2 was another titanic duel as Adrian Cruces (Cuna de Campeones) and teammate Millan eased away at the front, ahead of Alvaro Carpe and a charging Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0).

With the battle between the Cuna de Campeones teammates igniting, Carpe and Piqueras closed in and Carpe pounced on the final lap at the last corner, hitting the front to take a career-first race victory.

Cruces and Millan followed their fellow countryman home while it was disaster for Piqueras, who crashed on the exit of the final corner on the last lap.

Jacob Roulstone proved stronger in the second running, taking sixth, less than a second off the lead and well entrenched in the second group.

Cruces leads the title ahead of Millan by a single point after Round 2, with Xabi Zurutuza third. Jacob Roulstone currently sits fifth.

Carpe’s win elevates him to eighth.

ETC Round 2 Results