After round one in Sevlievo, Bulgaria, the first edition of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship will be in Mantova, Italy, for round two, taking place this weekend before the month break preceding the French round in St. Jean d’Angely (June 15th).
As the series touches the Italian soil for the first time, Livia Lancelot tasted her maiden win in Bulgaria and now heads the points standings.
Courtesy of her last moto win in Sevlievo, GPKR’s Livia Lancelot eventually won the opening round of the 2008 Championship to lead the standings. The French rider was referred to as one of the favourites for this year’s World Title, with main rivals Yamaha Van Beers Racing’s Katherine Prumm and KTM Germany’s Steffi Laier both being injured.
The two actually won the first three editions of the World Cup, which has now been upgraded to World Championship, with Laier taking the title in 2005 and Prumm in both 2006 and 2007.
As Laier missed Sevlievo, Prumm rode with a broken right ACL, taking a brave fourth overall despite the incredible pain in both heats; she will be back at Mantova chasing better results.
Kawasaki Elf Pfeil’s Maria Franke was solid at round one, taking second overall behind Lancelot; the German will be looking forward to this weekend as it might be her chance to collect her maiden overall win.
American Ashley Fiolek was surprising at her very first appearance in the series; racing on a track she had never seen before against rivals she never rode with, the 17 year old put in two good motos to take the third step on the podium, despite being involved in first moto winner Larissa Papenmeier’s crash in the final heat.
The latter damaged her right ankle and did not finish the heat, dropping down to eighth in the standings; Papenmeier is currently resting her foot and will try to ride at Mantova.
Elin Mann now rounds off the top five in the Championship standings, followed by Elien de Winter, Marianne Veenstra, Larissa Papenmeier, Sandra Adriansson and Nicky van Wordragen.
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