Women MX World Championship Round 2 fires up at MXGP of Portugal this weekend, placing the Worlds top Women MX Riders at the forefront of their game after 7 week gap from WMX Opening Round at Valkenswaard GP, March 31st.
A break-down of the top contenders for all mighty points: Red Plate holder Amandine Verstappen claimed victory in WMX Round 1 going 2-2. Showing consistent race-craft on the tough sand circuit, Amandine nailed her first top-step podium since claiming a Race win in 2017 at Czech Republic.
Overall 2nd place is Dutch racer Nancy van de Ven, shy of 1 point off Verstappen. Heading into Agueda GP this weekend, Van de Ven needs no extra boost of confidence having taken WMX Round 1 win in Race 2, capped with long-held want to claim WMX Title having finished 2018 runner-up to Italian WMX 6x Champion Kiara Fontanesi.
Rounding out the top 3 Overall is Larissa Papenmeier-Yamaha who raced a solid 3-3 at WMX Opener which equals the seasoned rider’s result of 3rd in 2018 WMX Championship standings. Total points separation for top 3 is: 44, 43 and 40.
NZ’s Courtney Duncan has proved #151 sheer speed is unstoppable, pushing herself to achieve Champion status while at same time ramping up determination mind-set of her peers in WMX class.
In such tightly contested field over 5 Rounds, Duncan’s no mistake mandate will have to survive given the Kiwi is placed 4th Overall from fall-out of crash in WMX Round 1 moto 2.
Shining a bright light of up-coming younger talent are KTM Shana van der Vlsit, #172 Lynn Valk and Danish rider Line Dam. All 3 have made most of 7 week gap in between WMX Rounds racing EMX Women Rounds 1-3.
Van der Vlist took the Overall win at EMX Women Round 2 in France and currently stands 2nd in the Championship behind 4x WMX Champion Steffi Laier.
Oh so motivated 16 year old Lynn Valk stood proud on 3rd step of podium at last weekend’s EMX Women Round 3 at Slagelse, Denmark making strong statement that #172 knows what she wants regardless of who she is up against.
Coming off the back of EMX Women Overall win at the weekend is Danish rider Sara Andersen. And it wasn’t just any win- Andersen gapped the field from hole-shot, maintained comfortable lead in both motos going 1-1 on the hard-pack circuit.
If #325 needed extra confidence boost heading into WMX Round 2, winning 2 races 7 days previous adds fuel to the desire to improve her standings of 9th in 2018 WMX.
Out of left-field racing for KTM Diga Junior Racing is American Avrie Berry. Not content to make huge adjustment leaving home in USA to race 2nd WMX season in Europe, Berry is also competing in Canada’s Triple Crown Women Arena Cross and Women West Nationals in between WMX Rounds.
That’s a tough schedule for any rider racing in 3 Women Series, in 2 continents, not taking into consideration juggling time management for practice, training, rest and maybe some relax time.
With full-gate line-up of 32 Women riders in World Championship Round 2 from 13 Nationalities, the battles will be on the track- a whos’ who for gaining valuable points. No doubt, these Women are all on point, on target and on their game for racing MXGP of Portugal.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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