New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan (Kawasaki) is world champion again, three years in a row, winning the 2021 crown at the weekend’s final round of the FIM World WMX Women’s Motocross Championship in Italy.
The rider from Palmerston, in Otago, scored her fourth overall victory of the season at the Grand Prix of Trentino at the weekend, the sixth and final round of the 2021 WMX world series.
The 25-year-old from Dunedin in New Zealand went into the final round holding a 16-point lead in the series but she was also carrying a painful injury after suffering a broken finger last weekend in Spain.
Gritting her teeth she earned third-choice of gate during morning qualifying session, just two-thirds of a second off pole, but was pushed wide at the first turn in race one and then got tagged from behind at turn three to lose further ground on the leaders.
She remained calm through the always hectic opening lap to settle into an initial eighth place before starting to pick off the girls ahead of her one-by-one.
After four laps she was already third and, with her closest rival at the start of the day also encountering misfortune on the opening lap, the successful title defence was looming closer as she set her sights on the remaining challenger in the points chase.
Secure in the knowledge that she did not need to risk a pass to secure her three-peat world title she stayed in her rival’s wheel tracks whilst ensuring that there was no renewed threat from behind to take the chequered flag third and set the seal on the individual WMX world title for the third consecutive season.
The post-race celebrations could begin but, professional as ever, the world number one and the Bike It MTX Kawasaki team were soon preparing diligently for race two as there was still one more job to be done.
And the champion did it in style! Clearly determined to end the season on yet another high Duncan and her KX250 swept through turn one in second place; after a careful opening lap on a track still slippery from pre-race watering she built a stunning pass for the lead already on lap two and raced eight seconds clear for her fifth moto win of the season.
This was not quite enough to clinch a fourth overall GP victory from six but, more importantly, it clinched the FIM Manufacturers’ world title for Kawasaki against numerically-superior opposition for the second time in three years.
The partnership with Kawasaki has been an outstanding success from day one.
Since going green with Steve Dixon’s team and Kawasaki Motors Europe in 2019 the dynamic Kiwi has not only won three individual world titles and led Kawasaki to two Manufacturers’ titles she has won 10 GPs out of 16 and taken the chequered flag first in 19 motos of 32, only finishing outside the top three on four occasions.
Even more remarkably this success has been achieved riding KX250 machinery direct from the production line bar a handful of after-market cycle parts and the green bikes have a 100% clean sheet with not a single mechanical failure throughout the three seasons of racing.
“It’s been an unbelievable day to win my third world title; words can’t describe it,” said Duncan.
“I was pretty happy with my riding today considering the injuries I picked up last week but I came here with a 16-point lead and knew what I had to do.
“I saw Kiara down on the first lap; I knew I didn’t need to win the first moto, so I rode a little conservative to get the job done early and then could go out and win the final race to end the season with a bang.
“It was nice to clinch the title with a race to go; the competition is tough, we only have six races and the earlier you can win it the better. This year’s been really tough. We’ve had our ups-and-downs but I’ve made the best out of every situation and fought for every single point.
“What a feeling to do it three years in a row with the same team and the same brand; massive thanks to Steve, the entire team and Kawasaki! I wish I could say I was going home to New Zealand soon now that the season’s over but it’s difficult to travel at the moment so I might be a Brit for a few more months (laughs).
“Obviously it was a good season with good battles, good races and bad races,” said Duncan.
“I just made the best out of every situation this year, fought for every point I could, and it feels great to win a third championship. It hasn’t probably really sunk it yet, but it will feel good tomorrow and the days to come.
“My day today started off not too bad. The first race I got third and I got a little nervous there.
“The girls out front ran really good, but I was able to finish third and obviously close the championship with a race to go. I think I was in control with a couple laps into the race and rode really well to keep myself in that position. It was nice to end the season with a win and I am going to enjoy it.”
Photo courtesy Kawasaki Europe
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here
RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
WMX – Championship Top 10 Final Classification:
WMX – Race 1, Italy – Top 10 Classification:
1.Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), 24:30.310; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:02.596; 3. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:03.889; 4. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:13.690; 5. Lynn Valk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:16.957; 6. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:20.726; 7. Daniela Guillen (ESP, KTM), +0:27.670; 8. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:29.202; 9. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, Honda), +0:51.209; 10. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), +0:59.109.
WMX – Race , Italy – Top 10 Classification:
1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 24:51.718; 2. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:08.063; 3. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:13.235; 4. Lynn Valk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:14.133; 5. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:14.716; 6. Daniela Guillen (ESP, KTM), +0:30.848; 7. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), +0:38.501; 8. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:39.459; 9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:40.836; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, Honda), +0:54.674;
WMX – Overall Top 10 Classification, Italy:
1. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 47 points; 2. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 45 p.; 3. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 42 p.; 4. Lynn Valk (NED, HUS), 34 p.; 5. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Daniela Guillen (ESP, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, HON), 23 p.; 10. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 20 p.
WMX – Championship Top 10 World Champs Classification:
1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 268 points; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 237 p.; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 227 p.; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 214 p.; 5. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 197 p.; 6. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KAW), 184 p.; 7. Lynn Valk (NED, HUS), 174 p.; 8. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 159 p.; 9. Daniela Guillen (ESP, KTM), 154 p.; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, HON), 112 p.
2021 Women’s Motocross World Championship calendar:
Round 1: Saturday, July 24, GP of Czech Republic, Loket
Round 2: Saturday, July 31, GP of Flanders-Belgium, Lommel
Round 3: Saturday, September 4, GP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
Round 4: Wednesday, September 8, GP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
Round 5: Saturday, October 16, GP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos
Round 6: Saturday, October 23, GP of Trentino, Pietramurata