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2023 for Speed UP in the Moto 2 ended in the best way possible. Thanks to the 18-year-old Fermin Aldeguer and his riding skills in the last four races, the team led by Luca Boscoscuro became the star of something historic, given the Kalex’s almost continuous dominance since the creation of the series in 2010.
With a third place in the riders standings, Fermin Aldeguer had already shown his stuff in the CEV Moto 2 in 2021, when he managed to take home the most important cup in an early race. The rider from Murica is now very coveted by many teams, to the extent that, during the last weekend in November in Qatar, Ducati Pramac's CEO, Paolo Campinoti, offered him a pre-contract for 2025.
But, despite being courted by Ducati, Aldeguer will still be racing with Alonso Lopez, who is seventh among the riders, with five podiums in the championship. So, after Pedro Acosta, they’ll have another young talented rider from Spain on their team. But how did the 52-year-old manager find him?
“I saw him when he was competing in the Spanish championship, riding the Yamaha R6,” he confessed to Speedweek. “He signed with us in 2020, and then we took part in the European Moto 2 Championship. I’m happy to see that he’s evolved into a winning rider. He could've won the world title in 2022, but he lacked experience and knowledge of the tracks. But as far as capabilities are concerned, he has plenty.”
What many want to know is why he’s never competed in the Moto 3. The former rider explained: “He wanted to race at fourteen, but he was too big and heavy for those motorcycles, since he’s 180 cm tall. That’s why I told him to compete in the CEV, where he immediately achieved nine wins out of eleven rounds. The other two went to Lopez.”
Very confident in the technical abilities of his Speed Ups, the manager from Schio pointed out that, those who decided to leave his team, were no longer able to replicate their previous good results. “With us, Canet finished five GPs in the top three. Then he wanted the Kalex at all costs. He’s been there for two seasons and has achieved nothing.”
Compared to the German constructor, which that has 26 motorcycles on the grid, Boscoscuro only has 2 available, even if this number will double starting in March thanks to the MT Helmets Msi clients team, with Ai Ogura and Sergio Garcia. Competing constructors turned their nose up to their decision.
“Budgets don’t matter. What really matters is the quality of the riders. If they’re not fast or don’t know how to use the technology they have in their hands, it becomes impossible for them to assert themselves,” he replied to the criticism with a jibe. “Quantity isn’t important. What’s the point of having twenty-six guys available if none of them can win? It’s true that it’s not easy to find someone who’s really good, but taking on mediocre riders makes no sense.”
To this regard, he recalled when Lopez was fired from Max Biaggi’s Moto 3 team in 2019 because he seemed to be suffering from a mysterious disease. “It makes me smile to think that, after we placed him in the European Moto 2, he immediately won two races. His real problem is that he weighs 81.6 kilos. But if you lose weight, you lose strength and energy and, even mentally, you can no longer perform at your best,” he commented. “Normally, when you’re about 180 centimeters tall, the ideal weight ranges between 60 and 70 kilos. Otherwise, you don’t have a chance against those who, including the vehicle, weigh 65 kilos.”
