At dawn, the public waited impatiently for the opening of the gates of the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit. On this race Sunday, the conditions were ripe for a great spectacle on the track in all categories. The Moto Club de Nevers and the Fédération Française de Motocyclisme hosted the 4th round of the French FSBK-FE championship, a pivotal mid-season event. The show was on and the races were particularly hard-fought.
SUPERBIKE
RACE 1: DI MEGLIO TAKES BIG POINTS
For the first race of the day in the premier class, poleman Kenny FORAY (BMW Tecmas – Michelin) maintained his advantage and took the lead after the first lap. In second place, Mike DI MEGLIO (Honda CBO – Michelin) got off to another flying start on his N°36 Honda. Christophe PONSSON (BMW – Michelin) is in 3rd position and takes several riders in his wheel : Alan TECHER (Honda CBO – Michelin), 4th and particularly in form at this beginning of race then Jérémy GUARNONI (BMW MDS – Dunlop), 5th and Corentin PEROLARI (Yamaha Moto Ain – Pirelli), 6th. The n°38 Ducati of Grégory LEBLANC (Ducati TWR – Pirelli) was 7th ahead of the talented Martin RENAUDIN (Yamaha Supported Team Moto&GP Addict – Pirelli), 8th. Mathieu GINES (Yamaha Supported Team 41 Performance – Michelin), in 9th place, was also on the lookout and pushing hard to make up ground quickly.
The top three places were occupied by three experienced riders all within a second of each other. Kenny FORAY was still in the lead, but had to hold on to second-placed Mike DI MEGLIO. Alan TECHER is now 3rd, behind the two frontrunners and threatened by Jérémy GUARNONI and his n°11 BMW, 4th. The Top 5 is completed by Mathieu GINES’ Yamaha n°41, which is continuing its meteoric rise.
Halfway through the race, the red flag was waved. Grégory LEBLANC, who was pushing to get back up the field, suffered a heavy crash, fortunately not too serious. The drivers returned to the pit lane and waited for the restart. They set off for 5 laps, starting from the positions they had acquired in the race.
New start, same running order. The top 5 remained unchanged with Kenny FORAY in the lead, pushing his machine to the limit in an attempt to break away from his pursuers. They are Mike DI MEGLIO, second and Christophe PONSSON, 3rd. Mathieu GINES, still watching from 4th place, started to put in a string of fastest laps in the race to close in on the top 3. In 5th place was Corentin PEROLARI.
The leader crashes! Kenny FORAY crashed out at Turn 7 with 2 laps to go. He let Mike Di MEGLIO and his Honda n°36 slip away to victory ahead of the experienced Christophe PONSSON, second and the formidable Mathieu GINES, 3rd who put on a great show for the spectators packed around the circuit. In 4th place was Alan TECHER, who struggled to keep up with the leaders. The first young rider was Corentin PEROLARI, 5th overall. In 6th and 7th place were Jérémy GUARNONI and Martin RENAUDIN. Axel MAURIN (Yamaha – Pirelli) was 8th, just ahead of the talented Killian AEBI (Suzuki LMS – Pirelli), 9th overall and second in the young rider category. Kevin TRUEB (BMW – Pirelli) rounded off the top 10. Chris LEESH (Honda – Michelin) was 11th.
Last but not least, Ludovic CAUCHY (Yamaha – Pirelli), 12th overall, completed the podium.
RACE 2: FORAY THE BOSS
The grid of this Superbike class is packed with exceptional riders ready to do anything to shine. When the lights went out, it was Mike DI MEGLIO (Honda CBO – Michelin) who got off to the best possible start, taking first place ahead of Christophe PONSSON (BMW – Michelin) in second. The BMW of Jérémy GUARNONI (BMW MDS – Dunlop), is on the attack and takes 3rd place, the Yamaha of Mathieu GINES (Yamaha Supported Team 41 Performance – Michelin), is 4th. Alan TECHER (Honda CBO – Michelin) rounded off the top 5. The first young rider, Corentin PEROLARI (Yamaha Moto Ain – Pirelli) made a good start to the race, finishing in 6th place, but had to manoeuvre with the champion Kenny FORAY (BMW Tecmas – Michelin), in 7th place, hot on his heels.
The Toulouse-based GUARNONI pushed hard and managed to pass PONSSON, second, then DI MEGLIO, first, to move into the lead. He only led the race for a short while, however, as he crashed out at the Nurburgring bend, although not seriously, and returned to the pits. Mike DI MEGLIO regained the lead, closely followed by Christophe PONSSON, 2nd, who was himself under threat from Mathieu GINES, 3rd, and Kenny FORAY, now 4th, who was over-motivated and continuing his high-flying comeback. Alan TECHER’s Honda n°5, 5th, was slightly behind. He is still ahead of Corentin PEROLARI, 6th, Martin RENAUDIN (Yamaha Supported Team Moto&GP Addict – Pirelli), 7th and Axel MAURIN (Yamaha – Pirelli), 8th.
The frontrunners kept attacking each other and the top 4 places were still extremely close with a few laps to go. FORAY, PONSSON, DI MEGLIO, GINES in that order could still hope to win the race. The last few laps were going to be particularly close. A fabulous spectacle for the 2,000 visitors who came to watch the battle.
As the race crossed the line, it was defending champion FORAY who won by a narrow margin of 0’126 over second-placed PONSSON, who had made a strong impression this weekend and was once again on the second step of the podium. Mike DI MEGLIO, in 3rd place, once again scored big points, which augurs well for the second half of the season. Mathieu GINES, once again a flamboyant performer, finished a frustrating 4th ahead of Alan TECHER, 5th, who was clearly in a delicate spot during the weekend’s races. The first young rider was Corentin PEROLARI, 6th overall. Martin RENAUDIN from Mance finished 7th ahead of Axel MAURIN, 8th, Ludovic CAUCHI (Yamaha – Pirelli) second young rider and 9th overall, Chris LEESH (Honda – Michelin) 10th. Yvan LAETZIG (Yamaha – Pirelli), 13th overall, completed the podium in the young rider category.
PROVISIONAL SITUATION :
1 – Mike DI MEGLIO – 147 points
2 – Kenny FORAY – 129 points
3 – Mathieu GINES – 118 points
4 – Alan TECHER – 116 points
5 – Corentin PEROLARI (Challenger) – 96 points
SUPERSPORT 600
RACE 1 : GREGORIO GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
The frontrunners got off to a flying start with Johan GIMBERT (Yamaha – Pirelli) in the lead, attacking hard from the very first corners. He was followed by Loïc ARBEL (Yamaha – Pirelli), in second place, who tried to keep in touch. In 3rd place was Enzo DE LA VEGA (Yamaha – Pirelli), closely followed by two other strong men: Matthieu GREGORIO (Yamaha – Pirelli), 4th and Matthieu LUSSIANA (Yamaha – Michelin), 5th. Before the end of the first lap, there was a change of leader as GIMBERT shot straight at Château d’Eau and let his pursuers slip away. The five leading riders engaged in a Dantesque battle.
The Yamaha n°23 of Loic ARBEL, in first place, was now leading the way and had to hold off the repeated attacks from DE LA VEGA, in second, and GREGORIO, in 3rd, who were all within a second of each other. Matthieu LUSSIANA and Pierre LAURENT (Triumph – Michelin) complete the top 5 in that order. In 6th position, we find the first challenger Vincent FALCONE (Yamaha – Pirelli) threatened by Johan GIMBERT who is climbing lap after lap, 7th.
Halfway through the race, the frontrunners were still going strong. Loic ARBEL managed to hold off Enzo DE LA VEGA, who took the lead. Matthieu GREGORIO took advantage and took his wheel to snatch second place. The top 3 is now made up of GREGORIO, first under the threat of DE LA VEGA, second and ARBEL in a different rhythm, 3rd. Johan GIMBERT is now 4th and looks set to challenge for the podium in the closing laps. In 5th position is Matthieu LUSSIANA ahead of Pierre LAURENT and his n°11 Triumph, 6th. Vincent FALCONE was still the leading challenger in 7th place, ahead of another rider in the category, Gabin CAZARD (Yamaha – Pirelli), in 8th.
In the final laps, Matthieu GREGORIO took first place and held on to it right to the end. He won ahead of the experienced Enzo DE LA VEGA, who climbed onto the second step of the podium, before Loic ARBEL, 3rd, who had a string of good results. In 4th place was Johan GIMBERT, who was certainly frustrated by his mistake at the start of the race, despite a fine comeback. The rider of the #77 Yamaha will certainly be keen to make up for it in Race 2. Matthieu LUSSIANA rounded off the top 5. In 6th place was Vincent FALCONE, who was the first challenger after a successful race. Gabin CAZARD was 7th overall, second challenger. Pierre LAURENT, 8th ahead of Hugo ROBERT (Yamaha – Pirelli), 9th. Finally, the challenger podium was completed by Bartholomé PERRIN (Yamaha – Michelin), 10th overall.
RACE 2: JOHAN GIMBERT IN THE FINAL
The N°77 Yamaha of Johan GIMBERT (Yamaha – Pirelli) got off to an ideal start and was in the lead at the end of the first lap of this second race. Loic ARBEL (Yamaha – Pirelli), in second place, followed him closely to keep his chances of victory alive. Just behind them, Matthieu GREGORIO (Yamaha – Pirelli), 4th, and Enzo DE LA VEGA (Yamaha – Pirelli), 5th, were fighting for 4th position. Mathieu LUSSIANA (Yamaha – Michelin) was 6th but slightly behind. Vincent FALCONE (Yamaha – Pirelli) is the first challenger in 7th place.
GIMBERT led the way but didn’t have enough of a lead to keep away from GREGORIO, who was second after applying the brakes on ARBEL, who was in 3rd place and losing momentum. These battles for the top 3 places did the trick for DE LA VEGA, 4th, just 0’180 back, who was pushing hard for a second podium this weekend. Further back, LUSSIANA was 5th, more than 10 seconds behind her predecessor. Then there was FALCONE in 6th and Hugo ROBERT (Yamaha – Pirelli) in 7th, who was in a position to move up the standings.
With 5 laps to go, the battle raged for the top two places, with GREGORIO taking the lead from GIMBERT for a while before the latter took control of the race and pushed hard to secure victory. GIMBERT was 1st, GREGORIO 2nd, DE LA VEGA 3rd, ARBEL 4th and LUSSIANA 5th. Robert’s #51 Yamaha did manage to claw back a few places and was 6th, but under threat from the young Falcone, who was on the attack in 7th.
As he crossed the line, Johan GIMBERT won his 3rd race of the season. He was ahead of Matthieu GREGORIO, who came second and won the point for the fastest lap of the race, and Enzo DE LA VEGA, 3rd. The latter climbed onto the podium for the second time this weekend. At the foot of the box, Loic ARBEL was unable to maintain his position of excellence, but still pocketed some big points for the championship. Matthieu LUSSIANA once again took 5th place ahead of challenger class leader Vincent FALCONE, in 6th, who managed to get the better of Hugo ROBERT, who finished 7th. Gabin CAZARD (Yamaha – Pirelli), second on the challenger podium, again finished 8th overall, ahead of Laurent Pierre (Triumph – Michelin), 9th and 3rd challenger Bartholomé PERRIN (Yamaha – Michelin), 10th overall.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS :
1 – Johan GIMBERT – 144 points
2 – Matthieu GREGORIO – 123 points
3 – Enzo DE LA VEGA – 120 points
4 – Loïc ARBEL – 99 points
5 – Hugo ROBERT – 84 points
GRAND PRIX OBJECTIVE
PRE-MOTO 3
RACE 1: MIGNOT LIKE A GREAT MAN
Poleman Rémy SANJUAN (BEON – Bridgestone) got off to a flying start, as did the young Henri MIGNOT (BEON – Bridgestone), who had been second fastest since the start of the weekend. David DA COSTA (BEON – Bridgestone) was now in 3rd position.
The two frontrunners, SANJUAN and MIGNOT, were going head to head and not giving each other a second’s respite. David DA COSTA was watching the battle from 3rd position, more than 3 seconds behind the two young men. Quentin GODEFROY (BEON – Bridgestone) was in 4th position, struggling to catch up with the frontrunners.
As they crossed the line, it was Henri MIGNOT who took the win! After a series of battles, the young n°78 driver took the top step of the podium ahead of Remy SANJUAN in second and David DA COSTA in third.
RACE 2: SANJUAN HARD AT WORK
The magnificent battle of the morning between Rémy SANJUAN (BEON – Bridgestone) and Henri MIGNOT (BEON – Bridgestone) was not to be this afternoon. The n°78 driver missed the first few laps of the race and was forced to retire when a black flag was shown. Fortunately, David DA COSTA (BEON – Bridgestone) took over and challenged the young #126 driver, who was a guest of the weekend.
At the halfway point, DA COSTA was leading by a narrow margin ahead of SANJUAN, who was second at just 0’182 but still incisive. Quentin GODEFROY (BEON – Bridgestone) was 3rd and still in a position to close on the leaders.
In the end, it was young Rémy SANJUAN who put the brakes on the leader, then set the pace and broke away to take victory. David DA COSTA’s n°72 LA BEON was second and Quentin GODEFROY third.
PROVISIONAL SITUATION :
1 – David DA COSTA – 153 points
2 – Henri MIGNOT – 137 points
3 – Quentin GODEFROY – 122 points
4- Célestin MASY – 101 points
5 – Marc-Antoine AUDARD – 77 points
NSF 250
RACE 1: BOXBERGER ACT 1
At the end of the first lap, championship leader Evan BOXBERGER (Honda – Bridgestone) took control of the race ahead of poleman Jules BERCOT (Honda – Bridgestone) in second and Jimmy PRIMAUT (Honda – Bridgestone) in third, who looked in with a chance of victory.
With a few laps to go, Jimmy PRIMAUT confirmed his form and took control of the race, in front of Evan BOXBERGER, 2nd, who was on the lookout for an opening, and Jules Bercot, 3rd, who had been in more difficulty this morning. On the final lap, the provisional championship leader took control of the race and won. BOXBERGER first ahead of PRIMAUT, second and BERCOT, 3rd.
RACE 2: BOXBERGER ACT 2
This time, Jules BERCOT (Honda – Bridgestone) took control from the start and held on to his pole position. He pulled away for a while from his closest chaser Jimmy PRIMAUT (Honda – Bridgestone), in second place, and the hectic Evan BOXBERGER (Honda – Bridgestone), in 3rd, clearly determined to complete the double.
BOXBERGER put the brakes on PRIMAUT then attacked BERCOT and won to consolidate his position as class leader. He narrowly edged out Jules BERCOT, who was second but only 0’145 behind. Finally, Jimmy PRIMAUT took 3rd place on the podium.
PROVISIONAL SITUATION :
1 – Evan BOXBERGER – 204 points
2 – Jules BERCOT – 121 points
3 – Swan EMPRIN – 104 points
4 – Enzo DAHMANI – 91 points
5 – Livio MIRABEL – 86 points
SUPERSPORT 300
RACE 1: NEW FACES CAUSE TROUBLE
World champion Julio GARCIA GONZALEZ (Kawasaki – Pirelli), on pole, and Kevin SABATUCCI (Kawasaki – Pirelli), second on the grid, got off to ideal starts. Killian ROSSIGNOL (Kawasaki – Pirelli) and Cyprien BABY (Yamaha – Pirelli) followed them to 3rd and 4th respectively, relegating D’Jefferson DELBOSC (Kawasaki – Pirelli) to 5th place. Justine PEDEMONTE (Yamaha – Pirelli) got off to a perfect start and immediately attacked the frontrunners.
After the first few laps, Kevin SABATUCCI took the lead but kept Spaniard Julio GARCIA GONZALEZ on his wheel at just 0’203. The two men broke away from the rest of the field. In 3rd place, Killian ROSSIGNOL led a small group of 4 riders all within a second of each other. They included Justine Pedemonte in 4th place, who was continuing her comeback, Cyprien Baby in 5th place, just ahead of D’Jefferson Delbosc, now in 6th place.
At the halfway point, it was GARCIA GONZALEZ who regained first place and this time tried to distance himself from SABATUCCI, in second, but without succeeding. In 3rd place, ROSSIGNOL found his rhythm and distanced his pursuers. BABY, 4th, passed PEDEMONTE, 5th. DELBOSC had a crash (not serious) at turn 3 and tried to restart but fell to the bottom of the rankings. Ryan CHAUVEAU (Kawasaki – Pirelli), who had been keeping a low profile until then, was now in 6th place.
Positions continued to swap between the two frontrunners right up to the finish line. It was Kevin SABATUCCI who had the last word and took the win! Julio GARCIA GONZALEZ finished second, ahead of Killian ROSSIGNOL who completed the podium. In 4th place was Cyprien BABY (Yamaha – Pirelli) and Justine PEDEMONTE (Yamaha – Pirelli) rounded off the top 5. Pierre VERRIER (Yamaha – Pirelli) was 6th and Ryan CHAUVEAU finished 7th.
RACE 2: GARCIA GONZALEZ AHEAD OF SABATUCCI
Spanish poleman Julio GARCIA GONZALEZ (Kawasaki – Pirelli) got off to an excellent start and took the lead, while keeping a close eye on his main rival, Italian Kevin SABATUCCI (Kawasaki – Pirelli), who was second by less than 0’500 at the end of the first lap. It’s important to note that these two riders, who will be competing as Wildcards this weekend, are not eligible to score points for the French championship.
For the moment, it would be D’Jefferson DELBOSC (Kawasaki – Pirelli), currently in 3rd place, who would score the most points in the standings. He is followed by the talented Cyprien BABY (Yamaha – Pirelli), 4th in his quest for yet another podium finish this season. Killian ROSSIGNOL (Kawasaki – Pirelli) rounded off the top 5. In 6th position, Justine PEDEMONTE (Yamaha – Pirelli) kept up a good pace and looked set to catch up with the frontrunners.
With 5 laps to go, the battle was still raging between GARCIA GONZALEZ in 1st and SABATUCCI in 2nd, with the rest of the field more than 20 seconds behind. In 3rd position we still find D’Jefferson DELBOSC, who has to work hard to keep young Killian ROSSIGNOL, 4th, in check, as well as two other very close riders: Cyprien BABY, 5th, and Ryan CHAUVEAU (Kawasaki – Pirelli), 6th, both within 0’200 of 3rd place.
In the end, the positions remained unchanged until the chequered flag. Julio GARCIA GONZALEZ took the win ahead of Kevin SABATUCCI in second and D’Jefferson DELBOSC in third, who was back on top after his crash this morning. The rest of the top 5 was completed by Killian ROSSIGNOL in 4th and Cyprien BABY in 5th. Ryan CHAUVEAU finished 6th.
PROVISIONAL SITUATION :
1 – Ryan CHAUVEAU – 140 points
2 – Cyprien BABY – 132 points
3 – Killian ROSSIGNOL – 118 points
4 – D’Jefferson DELBOSC – 101 points
5 – Justine PEDEMONTE – 91 points
SIDE-CAR
RACE 2 SPRINT: PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT, A FAMILY CELEBRATION
After some great battles yesterday in Race 1, the sidecar drivers are back today for a 6-lap sprint race. This time, the LEGLISE / DRUEL (F600) duo got off to the best start and retained their pole advantage. The n°33 team was once again closely followed by the PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT family team (F600), who were determined to regain the lead as quickly as possible. WYSSEN / SALMON (F600) were in 3rd place, almost 3 seconds behind the runner-up, while PALACOEUR / CESCUTTI were in 4th place, first in the F2 category.
The battle was clearly being waged at the front, with the n°74 side repeatedly attacking the n°33 leader. These attempts paid off, as the PEUGEOT brothers took the lead at the halfway point and pushed hard to close the gap. LEGLISE / DRUEL were now second, relegated to more than 4 seconds behind! WYSSEN / SALMON maintained their pace and 3rd position. PALACOEUR / CESCUTTI seemed to be in trouble on the penultimate lap and dropped down the rankings until they retired with 2 laps to go. It was now BARBIER / RIGONDEAU (F600) who was 4th ahead of VINET / VINET (F600) who completed the top 5.
At the finish line, PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT took the win ahead of LEGLISE / DRUEL in second place and WYSSEN / SALMON on the 3rd step of the podium. The positions then remained unchanged with ARBIER / RIGONDEAU, 4th and VINET / VINET, 5th.
In the F2 category, it was BERGEON / COLOMBIN (F2) who won ahead of NODELFER / BONNOT, second and QUILBAULT / LASSIA (F2) who took the final step of the podium.
RACE 3: WYSSEN / SALMON IN THE LEAD
This third and final start of the weekend for the sidecar category was very similar to the previous two. Prominent crews such as LEGLISE / DRUEL (F600), who started from pole position and held on to their advantage, PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT (F600), the category’s best performers, who were second, and the dangerous WYSSEN / SALMON (F600), who were third, took the lead.
The VINET / VINET (F600) team, in 4th place and BARBIER / REGONDEAU (F600), in 5th place, were soon more than 10 seconds behind the leader.
As the laps went by, LEGLISE / DRUEL saw their first chaser, the n°74 PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT sidecar, in second place, quickly get back on their heels. The family duo found an opening and took first place, taking with them WYSSEN / SALMON, now in 3rd place and losing pace.
At the halfway point, the order of the top 5 was completely changed. After a few laps of observation, the n°41 WYSSEN / SALMON chassi found the gap and took the lead. It was ahead of the PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT, second and VINET / VINET, 3rd. In 4th and 5th place were BARBIER / REGONDEAU and LEGLISE / DRUEL. The side-car of PALACOEUR / CESCUTTI (F2), 4th, was the first in the short-chassis category.
At the finish, the order remained the same. WYSSEN / SALMON won by 4’811 seconds over PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT, second. The third step of the podium was taken by VINET / VINET. In 4th place, we find BARBIER / REGONDEAU and LEGLISE / DRUEL completes the top 5. PALACOEUR / CESCUTTI were once again the best of the F2s, finishing 6th overall. They were followed on the short-chassis podium by NODELFER / BONNOT, 7th overall, and QUILBAULT / LASSIA, 8th.
PROVISIONAL SITUATION :
1 – PEUGEOT / PEUGEOT (F600) – 185 points
2 – PAYNE / ROUSSEAU (F600) – 169 points
3 – WYSSEN / SALMON (F600) – 167 points
4 – LEGLISE / DRUEL (F600) – 154 points
5 – BARBIER / RIGONDEAU (F600) – 66 points
…
1 – PALACOEUR / CESCUTTI (F2) – 227 points
2 – BERGEON / COLOMBIN (F2) – 126 points
3 – QUILBAULT / LASSIA (F2) – 110 points
MOTO 4 / MOTO 5
RACE 2 :
Second race for the young drivers in this category. Yesterday’s leaders Gabriel PIO (BEON – Bridgestone) and Mattéo BERGER (BEON – Bridgestone) took the lead, swapping positions several times from the very first laps. Florian FRANÇOIS (BEON – Bridgestone) was 3rd and further back but remained on the lookout for a possible opening.
The rest of the field was scattered around the track and the positions remained unchanged until the end. After battling from start to finish, it was finally Matteo BERGER who got the better of his rival Gabriel PIO, who was second. Kevin MAIFFRET (Corse – Bridgestone) took 3rd place on the podium ahead of Florian FRANÇOIS in 4th.
In moto 5, Roméo MONEYRON (Fulgur – Bridgestone) won ahead of Teddy QUENEHEN (Erdog – Bridgestone), 2nd, and Elliott CARVALHO (Fulgur – Bridgestone), 3rd.
PROVISIONAL STANDINGS :
1 – Gabriel PIO (Moto 4) – 168 points
2 – Mattéo BERGER (Moto 4) – 148 points
3 – Florian FRANCOIS (Moto 4) – 117.5 points
4 – Mathis FERNANDES (Moto 4) – 85 points
5 – Ethan DUFOSSE CERNEAU – 71 points
…
1 – Teddy QUENEHEN (Moto 5) – 172.5 points
2 – Roméo MONEYRON (Moto 5) – 153 points
3 – Eliott CARVALHO (Moto 5) – 108 points
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