Reigning Junior e-Motocross Series Champion Timoteï Cez has raced to a stunning pair of race wins at round one of the 2023 series to claim overall victory in Spain. The young French rider, competing on a GASGAS MC-E 5 for his title defence, was simply unstoppable on Spanish soil and began the new championship with a winning start. Rounding out the podium were fellow French racers Jordan Cadenel (GASGAS) in second with Lucas Bos (KTM) in third.
The technical intu Xanadú circuit in Spain played host to round one of the 2023 European Junior e-Motocross Series. A full line-up of 40 young riders from across the world made the trip to the season-opener and their weekend began with a qualifying session on Saturday morning to decide the starting order for the two seven-minute-plus-one-lap races. Posting a lap time almost five seconds faster than his closest competition, Timoteï Cez would lead the enthusiastic young riders to the line in both races.
Leading from start to finish, Cez dominated race one to win by a staggering 46 seconds and add 25 points to his series tally. Behind the 2022 champion, Cadenel completed lap one in seventh before charging forwards and moving into second on the penultimate lap to claim his hard-fought runner-up finish. Another rider on the move in race one was Bos on his KTM SX-E 5. Starting from outside the top 10, the French racer made two passes on the final lap to secure third.
In race two, Cez matched his race one result, this time with a margin of victory of 20 seconds. With his nearest rivals from race one, Cadenel and Bos, rounding the first turn up front, they did all they could to stay with the fast-starting Frenchman. As they worked their way past another rising French star, Camronn Gautier, who held second until the halfway point of the race, the duo gave it everything they had but would ultimately equal their race one results with Cadenel second and Bos in third.
With the dust now settled on an exciting opening round, the 2023 European Junior e-Motocross Series continues in two weeks’ time at the MXGP of France on May 20-21. With French riders filling the top four spots in the series standings, Cez, Cadenel, Bos, and Gautier will be eager and excited to race in front of their home crowd at the hillside circuit of Villars sous Ecot.
Timoteï Cez: “It’s amazing to start the new season with a win! The race on Saturday was really good and the track was quite technical. I got a great start and just stayed out of trouble and won with a nice margin. The second race was good as well and to win the overall is amazing. I had great starts in both races, which is really important. Up next is my home round in France so I’m looking forward to that one!”
MXe Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Timoteï Cez (FRA, GASGAS), 9:00.408; 2. Jordan Cadenel (FRA, GASGAS), +0:45.958; 3. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), +0:48.447; 4. Camronn Gautier (FRA, KTM), +0:49.813; 5. Víctor Moratilla Moreno (ESP, Husqvarna), +0:53.910; 6. Pepe Badiella (ESP, GASGAS), +0:55.395; 7. Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), +1:03.912; 8. Riccardo Galia (ITA, GASGAS), +1:05.938; 9. Enzo Garrido Barrios (ESP, GASGAS), +1:11.853; 10. Alejandro Mellado Palomino (ESP, KTM), +1:13.144;
MXe Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Timoteï Cez (FRA, GASGAS), 9:03.710; 2. Jordan Cadenel (FRA, GASGAS), +0:19.959; 3. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), +0:27.408; 4. Adan Quesada (ESP, KTM), +0:38.741; 5. Camronn Gautier (FRA, KTM), +0:47.173; 6. Víctor Moratilla Moreno (ESP, Husqvarna), +0:51.957; 7. Eddi Haustein (GER, KTM), +0:53.466; 8. Ryan Gabriel (AUT, Husqvarna), +0:58.533; 9. Enzo Garrido Barrios (ESP, GASGAS), +1:02.836; 10. Alejandro Mellado Palomino (ESP, KTM), +1:06.565;
MXe Overall
MXe Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Timoteï Cez (FRA, GAS), 50 points; 2. Jordan Cadenel (FRA, GAS), 44 p.; 3. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Camronn Gautier (FRA, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Víctor Moratilla Moreno (ESP, HUS), 31 p.; 6. Enzo Garrido Barrios (ESP, GAS), 24 p.; 7. Riccardo Galia (ITA, GAS), 23 p.; 8. Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Adan Quesada (ESP, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Eddi Haustein (GER, KTM), 22 p.;
