New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan took the 2021 KX250 to her 13th career GP win to head to the final round of the FIM World WMX Women’s Motocross Championship next month just four points off the pace.
Riding for the British-based DRT Kawasaki Racing Team, the Kiwi girl from Otago had surrendered the championship lead after a massive crash in the previous round at the same Mantova venue in northern Italy last Saturday but bounced back with a vengeance in today’s penultimate round four of the series.
Overtaking proved exceedingly difficult on a well-graded track in the opening race and, in fact, Duncan was the only one of the championship title contenders to improve her position during the race as she advanced to finish second from a fourth-placed start.
Still 10 points shy of the series points leader after the first moto, Duncan was aware how vital the start would prove in race two and the perfect combination of the strong-willed defending champion and the unrivalled performance of the 2021 KX250F Kawasaki saw her storm through the first turn a bike’s length ahead of the pack to lead all the way.
Resisting a crude attack from one of her main rivals at turn three, Duncan immediately put down the hammer to lead by four seconds at the completion of the opening lap; carefully defending this advantage during the first half of the race she then put the result beyond any doubt, and showed admirably the potential of the new Kawasaki machine, during the second half to win the moto by 19 seconds and claim overall victory on the day.
She now trails the series leader by just four points prior to the final round of the series in the Trentino region of Italy on October 30 and has her destiny in her own hands.
“It was an unbelievable day,” said Duncan afterwards.
“I’m so proud of the way the whole team were able to put that big crash on Saturday behind us, focus and regroup. We changed a few things after the first moto and my 2021 hooked up real good out of the gate in race two.
“I rode an aggressive first lap; that was important for me to be able to ride my own race and close the points gap. We’re back standing on the top step of the podium and – most important – to close the points gap. We don’t have too many races so it was vital to go out there and bank those points today.
“I’ll stay in England until the last race; I didn’t have too much time yet on the 2021, so we can improve even more there. I’m excited for Arco – bring it on!”
Photo courtesy Kawasaki Europe
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WMX – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
- Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), 25:28.624; 2. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:01.593; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +-1:58.382; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:02.698; 5. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:23.631; 6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:25.880; 7. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:35.469; 8. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:43.571; 9. Line Dam (DEN, Yamaha), +0:59.409; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, KTM), +1:16.433.
WMX – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
- Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 25:40.460; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:19.231; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:37.942; 4. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:42.282; 5. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:44.658; 6. Line Dam (DEN, Yamaha), +0:50.077; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:51.165; 8. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:57.334; 9. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:06.966; 10. Jamie Astudillo (USA, KTM), +1:30.616.
WMX – Overall Top 10 Classification:
- Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 47 points; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 47 p.; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KAW), 28 p.; 8. Line Dam (DEN, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 10. Jamie Astudillo (USA, KTM), 21 p.
WMX – Championship Top 10 Classification:
- Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 166 points; 2. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 162 p.; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 160 p.; 4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 156 p.; 5. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 128 p.; 6. Line Dam (DEN, YAM), 114 p.; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 102 p.; 8. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 93 p.; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 77 p.; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, KTM), 75 p.