The FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship’s 3rd round of 2018 played out over 2 days on the German circuit of Teutschenthal. Altherm JCR Yamaha’s Courtney Duncan faced tough competition and a challenging track this Saturday and Sunday but provided a masterclass for her competitors taking double race wins.
The WMX round of Germany was held along side the MXGP of Germany’s MXGP and MX2 races on the classic motocross track with tens of thousands of fans witness the action.
Coming into the weekend Courtney Duncan led the Championship with 2 rounds complete and at the drop of gate for Race 1 on Saturday she would take the Holeshot. Duncan battled with her fellow Yamaha mounted competitors such as MXFONTARACING Yamaha’s Kiara Fontanesi.
Fontanesi, who is the defending WMX Champion, took the lead from Duncan before the end of the first complete lap. Duncan chased Fontanesi for 10 laps as Nancy van de Ven was running in third.
The German fan favorite was of course Larissa Papenmeier who maintained 4th position every lap from the start just ahead of fellow German Stephanie Laier. Back at the front the pair of title contenders battled on their way through lapped traffic but when the two lap board came out, Duncan made a pass to win the race almost 7 seconds ahead of Fontanesi.
Race 2 started with Duncan again out front but Fontanesi back slightly further unable to put in an early challenge. Splitting Duncan and Fontanesi on the first lap was Nancy van de Ven while Papenmeier was again 4th.
Fontanesi passed van de Ven for 2nd on lap 2 and 2 laps after that Papenmeier moved into 3rd. The #85 of van de Ven then lost 2 more spots to both Sara Andersen from Denmark and KTM Silver Action’s Amandine Verstappen.
Nancy van de Ven was able to get back two positions but remained unable to pass Papenmeier which would ultimately decide the final spot of the podium. Duncan took her second race win of the weekend this time by more than 15 seconds over Fontanesi. In the overall standings Duncan and Fontanesi clearly went 1-2 after identical race scores but Papenmeier took the final spot on the podium after a tie in points with van de Ven but a better race 2.
Courtney Duncan stated: “Overall the weekend went pretty good, I think when you go 1-1 you have to be happy and I am. I’m also really excited for Ottobiano!”
WMX Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Yamaha), 24:43.856; 2. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:06.902; 3. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:24.605; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:28.482; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), +0:41.834; 6. Natalie Kane (IRL, Honda), +0:51.847; 7. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +1:13.936; 8. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:17.148; 9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +1:26.074; 10. Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:43.155.
WMX Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Yamaha), 26:02.489; 2. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:15.343; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:24.404; 4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:29.633; 5. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:57.355; 6. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +1:16.723; 7. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), +1:16.883; 8. Natalie Kane (IRL, Honda), +1:33.947; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:39.798; 10. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), +1:47.063.
WMX Overall Top Ten: 1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, YAM), 50 points; 2. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 30 p.; 6. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 30 p.; 7. Natalie Kane (IRL, HON), 28 p.; 8. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 25 p.; 10. Justine Charroux (FRA, YAM), 21 p.
WMX Championship Top Ten: 1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, YAM), 140 points; 2. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 125 p.; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 118 p.; 4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 118 p.; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 88 p.; 6. Natalie Kane (IRL, HON), 81 p.; 7. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), 78 p.; 8. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 69 p.; 9. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 66 p.; 10. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 62 p.
WMX Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha, 147 points; 2. Suzuki, 125 p.; 3. KTM, 102 p.; 4. Honda, 81 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 26 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 8 p.
This weekend the MXGP calendar made a stop at Germany’s Teutschenthal motocross track and along with it came the European Motocross Championship’s EMX125 class presented by FMF Racing. Topping the group of riders at the end of the weekend was Team Maddii Racing Husqvarna’s Mattia Guadagnini with unbeatable 2-1 finishes.
88 riders entered the racing from around the world for their chance to qualify for the main races’ 40 rider starting list. Qualifying on Saturday morning narrowed the field down for Race 1.
From the start to the finish KTM Junior’s Rene Hofer led race 1 with red plated #11. Behind Hofer the first half of the race was Jezyk Racing team’s Eddie Wade. Wade, the 2017 FIM Junior Motocross 85cc World Champion, had the Husqvarna of Guadagnini behind him from the start but on lap 9 of the 15 total Wade lost the spot.
Yamaha Europe EMX125’s Thibault Benistant, a first time podium finisher from last weekend in Latvia, ran in 4th every single lap. Past the checkered flag Hofer won his 4th race of the season while Guadagnini took 2nd and Wade 3rd.
The surface for today’s Race 2 was noticeably different as the riders were the first on the track following overnight watering and track maintenance. The conditions played perfect into the hands of Meico Vettikfrom Estonia who took the lead early over Benistant, Guadagnini and Hofer. The Italian, Guadagnini, mounted a charge immediately and was into 2nd by lap two while for Hofer it took longer to move forward. On lap 5 Guadagnini was into the lead past Vettik but Hofer was still positioned 4th. With Guadagnini getting away, Hofer found a way to get by Benistant on lap 6 and then Vettik on lap 8.
In the remaining 6 laps Hofer chipped away at the gap of Guadagnini successfully. With only two corners to go Hofer was all over the back of the Italian who could feel the pressure. The last minute charge from Hofer was left too late to make a pass and Guadagnini took his first ever race win swapping results with Hofer for equal points. The race 2 performance gave the Italian his first ever overall victory while Hofer extended his points lead and Vettik took 3rd.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top 10: 1. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 29:57.155; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:11.687; 3. Eddie Wade (GBR, KTM), +0:18.122; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.955; 5. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +0:25.510; 6. Emil Weckman (FIN, KTM), +0:49.673; 7. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +0:55.135; 8. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Yamaha), +0:56.898; 9. Matheo Miot (FRA, KTM), +0:57.502; 10. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), +1:02.151.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top 10: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), 29:20.023; 2. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:00.387; 3. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +0:18.090; 4. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), +0:22.712; 5. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), +0:24.051; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:30.797; 7. Emil Weckman (FIN, KTM), +0:44.592; 8. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), +0:54.309; 9. Lion Florian (GER, KTM), +0:55.519; 10. Filip Olsson (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:01.663.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top 10: 1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 47 points; 2. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 47 p.; 3. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 34 p.; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Eddie Wade (GBR, KTM), 30 p.; 7. Emil Weckman (FIN, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Matheo Miot (FRA, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Filip Olsson (SWE, HUS), 18 p.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship Top 10: 1. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 180 points; 2. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 132 p.; 3. Emil Weckman (FIN, KTM), 111 p.; 4. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), 104 p.; 5. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 104 p.; 6. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), 93 p.; 7. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), 84 p.; 8. Lion Florian (GER, KTM), 79 p.; 9. Filip Olsson (SWE, HUS), 72 p.; 10. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), 71 p.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 194 points; 2. Husqvarna, 140 p.; 3. Yamaha, 132 p.; 4. TM, 15 p.
