FIM European Moto2 Championship: Eric Granado Sweeps Doubleheader, American Joe Roberts Third In Race Two At Estoril (Updated)

FIM European Moto2 Championship: Eric Granado Sweeps Doubleheader, American Joe Roberts Third In Race Two At Estoril (Updated)

© 2017, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Editorial Note: We originally reported that American Joe Roberts finished second in Moto2 Race Two at Estoril based on the official race results posted on the official series website here: (http://www.fimcevrepsol.com/en/results/results?any…). 

Those results showed — and still show — Roberts finishing second and Steven Odendaal finishing third with the exact same total race time and gap to first place, meaning they crossed the finish line at the same time. Press releases and photos issued after our original post indicated that Odendaal was scored second and Roberts finished third. As a result, we updated our original post to reflect the new information even though the official results on the series’ website still indicates Roberts finished second with no special annotation about the situation.

FIM CEV Repsol Moto2 European Championship

Circuit Estoril, Portugal

July 23, 2017

Race One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Eric Granado, Brazil (Kalex), 18 laps, Total Race Time 30:59.948, Best Lap Time 1:42.169

2. Ricky Cardus, Spain (Kalex), -0.776 second, 1:42.696

3. Steven Odendaal, South Africa (NTS), -0.789, 1:42.591

4. Lukas Tulovic, Germany (Kalex), -5.228 seconds, 1:42.618

5. Hector Garzo, Spain (Tech 3), -5.444, 1:42.959

6. Federico Fuligni, Italy (Kalex), -16.085, 1:43.498

7. Dimas Ekky, Indonesia (Kalex), -16.153, 1:43.390

8. Hiroki Ono, Japan (NTS), -26.147, 1:43.605

9. Ivo Miguel Lopes, Portugal (Suter), -44.007, 1:44.296

10. Marc Luna, Spain (Tech 3), -53.740, 1:44.935

11. Joe Roberts, USA (Kalex), -70.029, 1:42.575

15. Jayson Uribe, USA (Kalex), -17 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded

Race Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Eric Granado, Brazil (Kalex), 18 laps, Total Race Time 31:01.977, Best Lap Time 1:42.187

2. Steven Odendaal, South Africa (NTS), -4.480 seconds, 1:42.744

3. Joe Roberts, USA (Kalex), -4.480, 1:42.784 (scored third in photo finish with Odendaal)

4. Hector Garzo, Spain (Tech 3), -7.558, 1:42.978

5. Federico Fuligni, Italy (Kalex), -22.032, 1:43.407

6. Ivo Miguel Lopes, Portugal (Suter), -26.944, 1:43.895

7. Hiroki Ono, Japan (NTS), -27.257, 1:43.821

8. Xavier Cardelus, Andorra (Kalex), -27.594, 1:43.995

9. Jayson Uribe, USA (Kalex), -40.880, 1:44.315

10. Marc Luna, Spain (Tech 3), -40.955, 1:44.303

Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 11 races):

1. Granado, 140 points

2. Cardus, 115

3. Odendaal, 101

4. Garzo, 87

5. Roberts, 72

6. Fuligni, 65

7. Ekky, 58

8. Ono, 44

9. Tulovic, 40

10. Cardelus, 31

14. Uribe, 24

More, from a press release issued by AGR Team:

THE WIND COULD NOT STOP ROBERTS: 3rd AT ESTORIL!

Jayson Uribe was able to finish 9th in the second race

Yesterday we already announced that the wind could be a problem for the riders and so it was. This factor has conditioned all of today’s races, but our riders were able to overcome it and sign good performance on the Portuguese track.

This morning’s race had a lot of difficulties for our team. On the one side, Joe Roberts, who started from fifth and aimed for the podium, had a crash in the third lap when he was going very fast. With no physical consequences, he was able to get back on the track and finish 11th, despite a broken stirrup. Meanwhile, Jayson Uribe could not finish the race due to a crash.

But in the afternoon, luck changed completely for our riders. Joe Roberts did a very smart race, waiting for the right moment and at a very high level during the last few laps, which allowed him to finish 3rd, four thousandths behind the second-placed. A podium that is a deserved reward for the work done during this weekend in Estoril. Also, Jayson Uribe finished 9th. During Saturday’s QP he had good feelings about his pace and this finish in the top 10 confirms it.

Joe Roberts #27 Kalex Moto2 / 11º/ 3º: “I’m happy after finishing on the podium in the second race. We fought closely for the second place, but I had to settle for third. Being back on the podium is great, because it means we’re consistent and we have the right pace. But I’m upset about the race this morning. I had pace enough to win, but a mistake took out any chance of success. In the second part of the championship I want to be better and fight for the first win of the year”.

Jason Uribe #36 Kalex Moto2 / NC /9º: “It was a positive day for me. I crashed during the first lap of the race this morning, but both the bike and I were ready for the afternoon. In the second race, I had a good start, but the difference in Moto2 are very close. I did my best until the end, finishing 9th after enjoying a great race. Now we need to prepare for Jerez and gather more points”.

The FIM CEV Repsol goes on vacation until mid-September, when it will resume competition in Jerez. Our riders are in good position in the overall standings, Joe Roberts is 5th and Jayson Uribe 14th and they will try to take another step forward in the second half of the championship.

The World Championship team will still be on vacation until the engines roar again at Brno (Czech Republic), the first week of August.

Have a good summer! Get hydrated and eat well!

More, from a press release issued by FIM CEV Repsol Press Office:

The Circuito do Estoril in Portugal was the scene of another victory for Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) in the Moto3™ Junior World Championship, a new double for Eric Granado (Promoracing) in Moto2™ and wins for Eduard Melgar (Grupo Machado-CAME) and Manuel González in the European Talent Cup in the fifth round of the FIM CEV Repsol.

Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) left Estoril after taking his third consecutive victory in a race affected by wind and multiple crashes, consolidating his overall lead in the Moto3™ Junior World Championship. Raúl Fernández (MRW Mahindra Aspar Team) started from pole position but a leading group quickly formed with Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team), Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy), Aaron Polanco (Leopard Junior Team), as well as the poleman and a number of other riders.

Falls by Jeremy Alcoba (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0), Alonso López (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) and Raúl Fernández (MRW Mahindra Aspar Team) broke up the race. The Moto3™ leader held first place followed by the Asia Talent Team riders, Aaron Polanco (Leopard Junior Team) and Jaume Masiá (Cradle of Champions). Yuki Kunii (Asia Talent Team) went down on the sixth lap while behind him José Julian García (FAU55 Racing) and Sergio García (Junior Team Star Galicia 0.0) were making a great comeback.

In the final laps, the Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy rider upped the pace and took Kazuki Masaki (Asia Talent Team) with him while Aaron Polanco (Leopard Junior Team) and Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team) were left to fight for the last place on the podium. However, the Leopard Junior Team rider fell on the last lap and was out of the running. Jaume Masiá (Cradle of Champions) was fourth, Yari Montella (SIC58 Squadra Corse) fifth and José Julián García (FAU55 Racing) sixth while Sergio García (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) pulled back to take eighth place. Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) took the Repsol free fuel voucher.

As a result, Dennis Foggia (Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy) reinforces his leadership of the Moto3™ Junior World Championship with 136 points against the 86 points of Jeremy Alcoba (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0), with Sergio López (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0.0 ) on 80 points and Jaume Masiá (Cuna de Campeones) moving up to fourth position on 75 points.

In Moto2™, Eric Granado (Promoracing) once again achieved a double, the second in a row and his fourth win of the season. The clear leader of the category took victory after pulling away with Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike), Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T Pro) and Lukas Tulovic (Forward Junior Team). Behind the leading riders, Héctor Garzó (Team Wimu CNS) was forced to fight back after starting from seventh place on the grid.

Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike) bore the weight of the race while poleman Tulovic gradually lost touch enabling Héctor Garzó (Team Wimu CNS) to pick him up with two laps remaining. Then Eric Granado (Promoracing) passed Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike) in a surprise move on a corner to take his third victory of the season, with Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T Pro) finishing third to repeat the podium of the previous race in Valencia. Carlos Mercier (Team Hipopótamo) finished as the best classified in Superstock 600 and Eric Granado (Promoracing) was awarded the Repsol free fuel voucher.

In the second Moto2™ race Eric Granado (Promoracing) notched up his second consecutive double by winning out in an electric last lap duel in which Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike) went down trying to overtake him in the chicane. Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T Pro) finished second and Joe Roberts (AGR Junior Team) was third.

Right from the off Lukas Tulovic (Forward Junior Team) took advantage of his pole position to hold first place, while Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike) clashed with another rider on the first corner and fell back to eighth position behind Héctor Garzó (Team Wimu CNS).

Eric Granado (Promoracing) demonstrated his current good form by taking the lead within just a few laps, followed by Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T Pro), Lukas Tulovic (Forward Junior Team), Federico Fuligni (Forward Junior Team), Ricky Cardús Team Stylobike) and Joe Roberts (AGR Team). Around the halfway point of the race, Lukas Tulovic (Forward Junior Team) found himself out of the running when he missed his braking point in a corner.

With five laps to go Joe Roberts (AGR Team) passed Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T Pro) to take third, although the reigning Moto2™ European Championship champion fought back to secure second place after Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike) went down – he finally finished eleventh. Eric Granado (Promoracing) once again won ahead of Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T Pro) and Joe Roberts (AGR Team).

Eric Granado (Promoracing) received his second Repsol free fuel voucher of the day. In Superstock 600 Carlos Mercier (Team Hipopótamo) was once again the winner. After his double, the Promoracing rider has consolidated his lead of the Moto2™ European Championship on 140 points, with Ricky Cardús (Team Stylobike) second with 115 points and Steven Odendaal (NTS Sportscode T Pro) third on 101 points. In Superstock 600, Phillippe Le Gallo (Yamaha Laglisse) is the clear leader with 125 points.

Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) was the protagonist of both the European Talent Cup races. The first race was interrupted on the sixth lap by a red flag when Víctor Alonso (42Motorsport) and Filip Rehacek (Igax Team) crashed in the chicane while Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) was leading the race. For the restart, the grid was organised according to the positions on the last lap before the red flag; the race was shortened to five laps. Poleman Manuel González’s (Halcourier Racing) bike cut out and he had to start from the back of the grid.

Miguel Parra (Blumaq HMA Racing), Simon Jespersen (Team Jespersen), Alejandro Díez (Team Honda Impala) led the restarted race on the first lap with Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) moving quickly up to tenth. The Halcourier Racing rider made a spectacular comeback and was in the lead on the final lap, but a stubborn Eduard Melgar (Grupo Machado-CAME) resisted fiercely to take the flag by just 0.041 to earn his first victory in the European Talent Cup. Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) finished second ahead of Francisco Gómez (Team Larresport) while Alejandro Díez (Team Honda Impala), fought hard right to the end to take third. The winner of the race received the Repsol free fuel voucher.

In the second European Talent Cup race, Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) took the victory that had eluded him earlier by beating Simon Jespersen (Team Jespersen) on the finish line by just 0.051, while Meikon Yuji Kawakami (Playstation Laglisse Academy) got onto the podium for the first time this season after finishing third.

From the first few laps, Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) and Simon Jespersen (Team Jespersen) pulled clear, leaving Meikon Yuji Kawakami (Playstation Laglisse Academy) third in no-man’s land. Alejandro Díez (Team Honda Impala) would end up closing in on the Playstation Laglisse Academy rider but couldn’t get past him to earn a podium slot. At the head of the race Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) and Simon Jespersen (Team Jespersen) played cat and mouse as the laps ticked by.

Simon Jespersen (Team Jespersen) was ahead on the final lap but Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) slipped passed him on the finish line to take the win as he had planned and as he later explained. After his second place in the first race Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) had recovered the overall leadership of the category, and his win in the second race consolidated his lead with 97 points. Simon Jespersen (Team Jespersen) has 76 points, Alex Toledo (Cuna de Campeones) 75 and Eduard Melgar (Group Machado-CAME) 74 – three riders within three points. With his first victory in the European Talent Cup, Manuel González (Halcourier Racing) received the Repsol free fuel voucher.

The sixth round of the FIM CEV Repsol will be held in Jerez on the 16 and 17 of September.

All the results and information about the Championship are on the official website: www.fimcevrepsol.com

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