Defending Women’s World Motocross Champion Stephanie Laier (KTM) scored back-to-back win s at the series’ opening round in Bulgaria at the weekend and collected a maximum total of 50 championship points.

Italian Chiara Fontanesi (Yamaha) joined the German on the podium which was completed by another German, KTM’S Maria Franke.

New Zealand’s Nikki Scott (KTM) (pictured above) managed 17^th in race one and then finished 33^rd in the second outing, placing her 20^th overall; after this opening round.

Scott follows in the fine tradition set by fellow Kiwi Katherine Prumm, who dominated the women’s world motocross scene between 2006 and 2008.

Winning the first moto, Germany’s Laier went on to take another victory the following day in the same style, leading the pack from the start then pulling away. The 2009 Women’s World Champion topped the Bulgarian podium and earned the first red plate of 2010.

Second on the rostrum was Fontanesi who built on day one’s second place finish with a third place in the second heat. The Italian managed to take second after passing American Honda rider Ashley Fiolek at the beginning of the race but Franke stormed to her tail and eventually moved past for the runner-up position.

Franke was third on the podium courtesy of Sunday’s result, which added to the fifth place she achieved on Saturday.

French rider Livia Lancelot left Bulgaria with a fourth overall. The 2008 Women’s World Champion struggled in Saturday’s first heat but a radical change in the bike set up gave her confidence for Sunday. Unfortunately the French woman stalled her KTM at the start but recovered to a valuable fourth.

Fiolek and Germany’s Larissa Papenmeier (Suzuki) completed the top six overall.

WMX Race 1 top 10:

1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 25:39.207;  2. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:18.460; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:22.755; 4. Ashley Fiolek (USA, Honda), +0:24.767; 5. Maria Franke (GER, KTM), +0:27.169; 6. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KTM), +0:31.756; 7. Natalie Kane (GBR, KTM), +0:56.235; 8. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), +1:21.168; 9. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, Yamaha), +1:55.024; 10. Elien De Winter (BEL, KTM), +1:55.371.

WMX Race 2 top 10:

1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 24:52.891;  2. Maria Franke (GER, KTM), +0:20.915; 3. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:22.404; 4. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KTM), +0:25.282; 5. Natalie Kane (GBR, KTM), +0:35.091; 6. Ashley Fiolek (USA, Honda), +0:46.300; 7. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), +1:05.851; 8. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +1:13.465; 9. Marielle De Mol (NED, Yamaha), +1:24.620; 10. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Suzuki), +1:25.017.

WMX Championship top 10:

1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 50 points; 2. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 42 p.; 3. Maria Franke (GER, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), 33 p.; 5. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Ashley Fiolek (USA, Honda), 33 p.; 7. Natalie Kane (GBR, KTM), 30 p.; 8. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Elien De Winter (BEL, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Marielle De Mol (NED, Yamaha), 20 p.

© Photo by Ray Archer, rayarcher.com