2020 WMX Round 2 hits the black sand of Valkenswaard this weekend, making the full-gate line-up as contestable as ever for nailing hole-shots, maintaining gaps on track, minimizing mistakes and capitalizing on making passes stick where they count the most.
WMX Round One winner and Red Plate holder Courtney Duncan can count on her own wealth of experience racing her 5th WMX season maximising on points advantage as buffer from keeping the number of fiercely determined WMX riders behind her- all ready to pounce to close points gap.
There is no doubt, 2020 WMX 6 Round Series will be down to the wire every Race, in every Round. Duncan holds 10 points ahead on 50 from Germany’s Larissa Papenemier with 40. Kiara Fontanesi stands 3 points back on 37 with Nancy Van de Ven and Lynn Valk tieing with 36. And there are other Women waiting to mix up standings- no more so than at MXGP of Netherlands this weekend.
2019 WMX Round winner at Valkenswaard Amandine Verstappen will be more than ready to push repeat button having taken the Round win 12 months previous. As will Nancy Van de Ven who took 2nd behind Amandine last year. In fact, Nancy will feel right at home racing with her fans track-side, along with knowing that she has won at Valkenswaard in WMX 2016.
#423 Yamaha Racing Team rider Larissa Pepenmeier continues to challenge assumption that she has produced top performance on the track given Lare’s show-down-hunt on race leader Courtney Duncan in WMX Round One Race 2 last weekend. Larissa kept the pressure on, it was great to watch, and did little to console pundits that predictions for 2020 WMX Title is fore-gone conclusion.
Shout out has to go for Italian WMX 6x Champion Kiara Fontanesi. What Kiara achieved at WMX Round One going 2-6 for 3rd Overall was nothing short of amazing. 12 months away from racing WMX, birth of daughter Skyler, on the short side of bike time and training- Kiara blitzed the odds that #8 is in for the win.
Racing only 3rd WMX season, Lynn Valk has stamped her name amongst the front runners finishing 3-5 for 5th Overall at WMX Opening Round last weekend. Lynn has to be up there in points table- 1: she is racing home venue 2: she strives to improve at every race 3: she loves racing the world’s best Women.
Sara Andersen had unfortunate crash in WMX R1 at Matterley which put paid to pointy end result at Matterley along with Shana van der Vlsit who faced simlar challenges battling muddy track conditions not long after come-back from wrist injury earlier in the year. Both will be looking forward to improvement in table standings.
Danish rider Line Dam produced credible 6th Overall at WMX Round One making WMX Round 2 full of anticipation to sustain forward momentum. French rider Mathilde Martinez made nice work finishing 7th in R2 at Matterley as did Australian Tahlia Jade O’Hare who stands at 12th Overall- a great leap from finishing 2019 WMX Championship in 22nd place. Both ready to battle for position come gate-drop at the weekend.
Looking forward to racing? Yes!
WMX Round 2 MXGP of Netherlands March 8th. Header photo WMX Round One Photo Credit: MXGP.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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