2021 Women Motocross World Championship season finale takes place at Trentino, Italy this weekend- who will be crowned Champion? With Final Round 6 taking place at the majestic circuit of Arco di Trento stakes are at all time high for the best women MX riders in the world to vie for top Championship honours.
If stats present information on which rider has performed to greatest of ability at the iconic track, odds are pretty even on who will cross the finish line first. 2020 was indeed favourable for defending WMX Champion Courtney Duncan to clinch her 2nd Title – same venue- at Final Round. Even so, current 3rd place Overall Nancy Van de Ven won 2020 WMX Final Round Race 2 which proves the hard pack track suits more than just the winner.
If 2020 and 2019 racing WMX Championship were CD’s years, Team 423 Yamaha Racing rider Larissa Papenemier made her own history taking 2018 Round 1 Overall win going 1-3 at Trento. Then, racing Suzuki before making remarkable switch to Yamaha, Lare rose to the insurmountable challenge of getting the jump first race, first Round to stand proud on top step of podium under the picturesque setting of Trentino.
2017 WMX Round 2 at Trentino proved another game changer with then, 4x WMX Champion (now 6x WMX Champion) Kiara Fontanesi showing home fans what she is capable of taking the Overall win going 1-2. Si, Kiara remains fierce competitor on whichever track terrain, and no more so in front of cheering Italian fans track-side.
Moving forward to 2021 Final Round 6 WMX Championship and line-up has another group of equally talented riders ready, waiting to make most of any opportunities to push, pass, and bang bars up front. Super credit goes to Shana van der Vlist currently standing 4th after taking her first ever GP Race win at Lommel earlier in season.
To count 2021 French Women MX Champion Amandine Verstappen out of mixing points up would be a mistake, so to would be acknowledging the fact that Lynn Valk, Sara Andersen and Spanish rider Daniela Guillen for making top 9 Overall.
If one rider stands out as top performer of younger generation it would be Australia’s Taila O’Hare. Climbing up table board rankings from Round 1: 14th, Round 2: 14th, Round 3: 11th, Round 4: 10th, and Round 5: 8th has to be celebrated. No doubt, her boss, owner and Team manager Livia Lancelot of Honda 114 Motorsport would be well pleased with progression. And, it really would be something for Livia to witness TJ O’Hare 625 on podium, as the 2x WMX Champion did herself, in 2017.
Great 2021 WMX Championship season. Great racing, super competition between the best Women MX riders in the world. So much talent to watch this weekend and well into the future.
2021 WMX Final Round 6, MXGP Trentino October 24. Header photo: 2020 WMX Final Round, Trentino, credit: MXGP.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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