Preview: 2022 WMX World Championship
The FIM WMX World Championship starts this weekend at the Mantova circuit. Courtney Duncan will try to win her fourth title in a row. Nancy van de Ven will do everything she can to prevent this. The Yamaha rider has been close for years, but she has not yet been able to win the crown. Kiara Fontanesi will not play, the Italian is pregnant again and will be active in this championship again in 2023. We look ahead to the coming season consisting of six matches.
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The battle for the title will most likely be between Duncan and Van de Ven. Because Larissa Papenmeier is very consistent, we expect her to be able to keep an eye on the ladies in the points count, but on the track we doubt that. The German can start very well, which is of course a very big advantage.
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Last year, Shana van der Vlist managed to outdo the other ladies in Lommel. The Apeldoorn native won the competition and even captured the redplate! She finished fifth in the final standings of the World Championships, can she secure fourth place or perhaps the top three this year? Lynn Valk has the same goal, who is back at JK Racing-Yamaha after a difficult season on the Husqvarna. The Nijverdal native won the first round in Lommel, her goal is without a doubt to enter the top three. Sara Andersen is very fast, but the Danish also regularly crashes to the ground. When she fails to do that, we also see her climb onto the stage.
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The only Belgian lady is Amadine Verstappen, who made herself heard again last year after a difficult season in 2020. The Walloon won the Dutch Grand Prix in 2019, but she did less well in the following years. Can she join the battle for fourth place with Van der Vlist, Valk and Andersen? Former world champion Livia Lancelot uses two ladies; Tahlia Jade O'Hare and Norwegian Martine Hughes. Last year Elisa Galvagno was Van de Ven's teammate, now the Italian competes for Husqvarna. The last lady we expect to be in the top ten is the Spanish Daniela Guillen.
Belgium Netherlands:
In addition to Van de Ven, Valk and Van der Vlist, we see several Dutch ladies in action. Britt Jans-Beken has the speed to finish well in the top ten, but falls regularly throw a spanner in the works. We also see Limburg's Danee Gelissen, Amber Simons and the small but brave Demi Verploegh in the World Cup. Jenitty van der Beek is on the list of participants but she will not start yet due to an injury from last season that cost more time than expected. Absent from the list of participants is Stephanie Stoutjesdijk. Verstappen unfortunately is the only lady from Belgium.
Past Champions:
2012 Kiara Fontanesi
2013 Kiara Fontanesi
2014 Kiara Fontanesi
2015 Kiara Fontanesi
2016 Livia Lancelot
2017 Kiara Fontanesi
2018 Kiara Fontanesi
2019Courtney Duncan
2020Courtney Duncan
2021Courtney Duncan
By: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
GALLERY: archive
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