Courtney Duncan wins 3rd consecutive Women Motocross World Championship Title at Final Round 6 at Trentino this weekend. In all out display of fight, sheer force of conviction and tenacity to ride to her strengths over course of Practice, Qualifying and Races, Duncan delivered supreme performance to win with moto to spare.
Holding Red Plate coming into WMX Final Round 6 at Arco di Trento, the defending Champion took comfort from 16 point buffer over closet rival 6x WMX Champion Kiara Fontanesi. At best, Duncan needed to finish 4th or better in both races to claim Overall Championship victory.
Racing as unpredictable as ever delivered potent blow to Fontanesi, who crashed early in Race 1 which forced the Title contender to re-join the race from 32nd position. Playing catch-up on Trentino’s hard pack, undulating track with significant elevations was hard ask with Kiara eventually crossing finish line in 15th place.
Duncan raced smart. Team 423 Yamaha Racing rider Larissa Papenmeier had grabbed the holeshot, put in gap up front and was holding off any type of pressure from riders behind: Amandine Verstappen, Nancy Van de Ven, Duncan and Lynn Valk. Whether CD noted pit board on where Fontanesi was in race: points-wise remains neither here nor there. Duncan raced within strategy to take WMX Championship win crossing the finish line in 3rd.
Winning 3rd consecutive WMX Championship, growing up in NZ, many moons away from Europe’s MX scene is victory in itself. Ask any Woman trying to pursue and deliver high end results in Motorsport – raising funds, managing sponsor requirements, juggling training, and if lucky slot in personal life- is all or nothing life experience. To do it 3x during all uncertainties surrounding COVID pandemic has to be respected for the sacrifices that Courtney has made.
Key take-outs of Courtney’s winning combo has to be: #1 surrounding herself with such supportive Team- Steve Dixon’s Bike It MXT Kawasaki and crew. #2 goal has always been to win WMX Championship- right from racing FIM Junior Worlds in 2009 and finishing 3rd in 85cc class. #3: unrelenting conviction to deliver best possible performance no matter how many curve balls are thrown CD’s way. And there have been plenty. #4: not to succumb to pressure.
Sure, experience racing WMX for past 6 years has meant hellava lot to learn, adjust mentality of racing to win as opposed racing to beat competitors on the track. If being isolated from family and friends back home in good-ole Kiwi land has aided Courtney to have more solo-time to contemplate best way to win- such circumstances has been an advantage for Overall result.
Results speak loudly: Round 1 Loket: 1-1, Round 2 Lommel: 7-3, Round 3 Turkey: 2-1, Round 4 Turkey: 2-2, Round 5 Spain: 2-1, Round 6 Trentino: 3-1.That’s 11 podiums from 12 Races. Throw in heightened mix of racing against highly competitive field of Women at all Rounds, and Courtney did have to up her game to take 2021 WMX Championship Title this season.
And there is the pay off. In no uncertain terms, Courtney Duncan, Kiara Fontanesi, Larissa Papenmeier, Nancy Van de Ven plus host of younger riders twisting throttle at any given moment have ramped up credibility of Women racing WMX. Media coverage has increased. Pre-during-post race interviews with WMX riders has increased. Fans get glimpse on what each rider is like as a person- with no helmet on. What a victory for extending fan experience watching WMX.
If WMX offers opportunities for the world’s best women MX riders to race at World Championship level, these Women by their very nature of determination to fulfill passion to race offer inspiration on what one can achieve if one works hard, remains focused and never gives up- no matter what. Such Women athletes prove their weight in gold- not just standing on the podium but also sharing their life journeys and experiences with all the rest.
2021 WMX Championship Overall:
Winner Courtney Duncan. 2nd Nancy Van de Ven. 3rd Kiara Fontanesi.
Header Photo: Courtney Duncan 2021 WMX Champion Photo Credit: MXGP.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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