JCR Altherm Racing Yamaha’s Courtney Duncan validated her label as ‘the next big thing’, with yet another impressive round win, her third of the season.
Conditions were brutal, with deep ruts and quicksand slowing rider right down. The fastest lap in Race 1, which took place in vastly different conditions yesterday, was 1:46.814 by Courtney Duncan, while in Race 2, it was again Courtney Duncan but with a lap time of 2:23.441. The conditions were so brutal, Duncan and the local ace, Nancy Van de Ven lapped all the way up to third!
After dominating race one, JCR Altherm Yamaha’s Courtney Duncan proved just how widespread her skills are with yet another outstanding performance. After leading the entire race and stretching out a 26 second lead, the New Zealander got pitched in the waves and went off the track. “I’m so gutted,” she said, “I had a lead of like 30 seconds, but I crashed and then went off the track and because it’s been built up, it was hard to get back on.”
With an enormous roar from the crowd, Nancy Van de Ven took the lead with two laps to go. The Dutch sensation managed to ride it home despite a hard charge in the eleventh hour by Duncan. Van de Ven’s win was something special as it set off a wild celebration in the grand stand that made your hair stand on end.
There was no real shock to see the new world champion Livia Lancelot take no risk on her way to third place, while it was a bit of a shock to see the recently dethroned world champion, and one of the most successful female motocross riders in the world, MXFontaracing Syneco Honda’s Kiara Fontanesi, on the deck.
With mud being the great equalizer, Holland’s own Nicky Van Wordragen mastered the gnarly terrain to finish fourth ahead of Germany’s Kim Immgartz who also put in the ride of her life for fifth.
JCR Altherm Yamaha’s Courtney Duncan topped the box here in The Netherlands while Nancy Van de Ven had the Dutch flag raised above the second step. The newly crowned world champion, Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot kept her perfect podium streak alive by finishing third overall.
As for the championship, Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot landed on the box at all seven rounds this season, with one round win, for the 2016 WMX world title, “I was almost thinking that I will never win a world championship again, but I managed to do it, so now I’m world champion, and happy”, she said. Nancy Van de Ven made the podium six times with two rounds wins for second overall, while the 2009 vice-world champion, Larissa Papenmeier, made one podium appearance but was consistently knocking on the door of the top three, and finished third overall this season.
WMX Race 1 Top Ten:
1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Yamaha), 25:12.799;
2. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, Honda), +0:35.668;
3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:52.764;
4. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:53.993;
5. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:55.972;
6. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:38.964;
7. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, Kawasaki), +1:56.309;
8. Line Dam (DEN, Honda), -1 lap(s);
9. Kimberley Braam (NED, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s);
10. Lianne Muilwijk (NED, Honda), -1 lap(s).
WMX Race 2 Top Ten:
1. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), 26:08.066;
2. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Yamaha), +0:05.212;
3. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +2:19.433;
4. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s);
5. Kim Irmgartz (GER, Suzuki), -1 lap(s);
6. Kimberley Braam (NED, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s);
7. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), -1 lap(s);
8. Lianne Muilwijk (NED, Honda), -1 lap(s);
9. Frida Östlund (SWE, Honda), -1 lap(s);
10. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), -1 lap(s).
WMX Overall Top Ten:
1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, YAM), 47 points;
2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 41 p.;
3. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 38 p.;
4. Nicky van Wordragen (NED, KAW), 32 p.;
5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 31 p.;
6. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 29 p.;
7. Kimberley Braam (NED, KAW), 27 p.;
8. Kim Irmgartz (GER, SUZ), 26 p.;
9. Lianne Muilwijk (NED, HON), 24 p.;
10. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, HON), 22 p.
WMX Championship Top Ten:
1. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 302 points;
2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 278 p.;
3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 220 p.;
4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, HON), 214 p.;
5. Courtney Duncan (NZL, YAM), 196 p.;
6. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), 188 p.;
7. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 164 p.;
8. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 125 p.;
9. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 108 p.;
10. Britt Van Der Werff (NED, SUZ), 99 p.
