FIM Europe Triumphs at Inaugural FIM Intercontinental Games in Jerez: FIM Europe became the first-ever winner of the inaugural FIM Intercontinental Games (ICG) after an exciting weekend of racing at the famous Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto in southern Spain.
The event brought together six regional groups from the FIM: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania. The competition took place in the Supersport (SSP) and Supersport 300 (SSP300) categories, with plans to add more classes in the future.
Each group sent a team of eight riders, split equally between the two categories, riding Yamaha R7 and R3 bikes. As part of the FIM’s focus on diversity, each team included two female racers, one in each class.
After Saturday’s qualifying sessions, FIM Europe and FIM Oceania were very strong in the SSP300 race, with both teams placing three riders in the top nine. Spanish rider Gonzalo Sanchez took pole position, followed by Australian riders Archie McDonald and Cameron Swain.
In the opening SSP300 race, Sanchez led the way, but FIM Asia’s Aldi Mahendra quickly moved from sixth to second, and then took the lead. The race was tight with many lead changes. Young riders were competing fiercely, and after three laps, the top 18 riders were all within two seconds of each other.
Maxwell Toth from FIM North America was also impressive, despite qualifying in eleventh place. He even led the race for a while. However, Sanchez crashed out with six laps remaining, leaving Mahendra to eventually win by just 0.047 seconds, ahead of FIM Europe’s Tomas Alonso. McDonald finished third, with Toth in fourth. The first female finisher was Italian rider Josephine ‘Joy’ Bruno, who placed 11th.
Next was the SSP race, where FIM Africa’s Dino Iozzo started from pole. The race was tightly contested, and the lead kept changing. As the race neared its end, rain started to fall, and after 13 laps, the race was stopped with red flags. Maier Neto from FIM Latin America won the race by 0.082 seconds ahead of Iozzo, with FIM Europe’s Elia Bartolini in third.
In the second SSP300 race, Sanchez was determined to make up for his earlier crash. He started well, but FIM Oceania’s Cameron Swain took the early lead. Toth also had a great start but crashed out early. As the race entered its final laps, Mahendra led again, but he was penalized for pushing Santamaria wide on the final corner. This gave FIM Europe an advantage in the overall standings.
In the final SSP race, the rain returned, and the race was stopped again. After a restart, FIM Europe’s Bartolini made a strong move in the final laps and took the victory, 0.612 seconds ahead of FIM Oceania’s Mike Jones. FIM Europe’s Iozzo finished third, and Thailand’s Apiwat Wongthananon was fourth.
With the overall win on the line, FIM Europe finished strong. Josephine Bruno, one of the top female racers, was thrilled with the result. “It’s been a fantastic weekend,” she said. “We worked so well as a team, and it’s an honor to represent FIM Europe.”
Her teammate, Roberta Ponziani, added, “We did a great job, and I’m very happy with how we handled the wet conditions.”
Alexandro Di Persio, FIM Europe’s SSP300 Captain, expressed his excitement: “It’s impossible to explain the feeling. We made history, and I’m so motivated for the next season.”
Elia Bartolini, FIM Europe’s SSP Captain, was also thrilled with the result. “It’s been fantastic, and I’m so happy we won,” he said. “I want to thank my teammates for their hard work.”
FIM Europe’s Team Manager, Alessandro Sambuco, shared his pride: “It was difficult because the competition was so tough, but we achieved our goal together as a team.”
FIM President Jorge Viegas praised the event’s success: “The atmosphere was incredible, with a strong sense of friendship among all the riders. It was a wonderful experience, and we want to thank everyone who helped make the first-ever FIM Intercontinental Games a success, including the City of Jerez, Circuito de Jerez, Dorna, and all our partners.”
Source : https://www.fim-moto.com/en/news/news-detail/article/fim-europe-strikes-gold-at-inaugural-fim-intercontinental-games
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