Lotte van Drunen from start to finish
In Riola Sardo, Lotte van Drunen used the main entrance to enter the 2023 FIM WMX World Championship. The Laurense Motors Kawasaki rider managed to win the first round under the Italian sun. Daniela Guillen crosses the finish line in second place ahead of three-time champion Courtney Duncan. Nancy van de Ven was enthusiastically the first to enter the first corner, but she crashed and did not finish.
Van Drunen was the fastest in the training, but the sprint to the first corner was won by Van de Ven. However, things go wrong there and the Zeelander hits the sand. Van Drunen takes the lead ahead of Elisa Galvagno and Guillen. The Spaniard quickly takes over second place, but she cannot make a fist against the 15-year-old Van Drunen. The Sliedrechtse wins this round with a wide lead over Guillen. Not a good start for Duncan, who then also clashes with Lynn Valk. As a result, both have to play catch-up, the New Zealander ends up third ahead of Shana van der Vlist and Britt Jans-Beken. The Limburg native has a very bad start but quickly manages to work his way up to fourth place. After about ten minutes of the race, Van der Vlist passes, meaning she finishes fourth ahead of her compatriot.
The Belgian Amadine Verstappen takes sixth place and Valk returns to ninth position. Danee Gelissen scores fourteenth place while an ill Jenitty van der Beek does not manage to finish. The same thing happens to the reigning world champion Van de Ven.
The second round will be held tomorrow morning, at 09.45 am and then we will know whether Van Drunen can book her first GP victory on the Italian island.
WMX – Race 1 – Classification
1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Kawasaki), 24:48.974; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), +0:30.688; 3. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:44.851; 4. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +1:06.030; 5. Britt Jans-Beken (NED, Yamaha), +1:09.487; 6. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +1:12.824; 7. Charlie Cannon (AUS, Yamaha), +1:13.411; 8. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +1:18.310; 9. Lynn Valk (NED, Fantic), +1:55.333; 10. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), +2:12.051; 11. Giorgia Blasigh (ITA, KTM), +2:19.196; 12. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 13. Matthew (NOR, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 14. Danee Gelissen (DOWN, KTM), -1 lap(s); 15. Elisa Galvagno (STONE, GASGAS), -1 lap(s); 16. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), -1 lap(s); 17. Martine Hughes (NOR, White), -1 lap(s); 18. Mathilde Martinez (FRA, GRASS), -1 lap(s); 19. Gabriela Sixfingers (ESP, GRASS), -1 lap(s); 20. Elena Kapsamer (AUT, GASGAS), -1 lap(s); 21. Giorgia Montini (ITA, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s); 22. Jamie Astudillo (USA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 23. Janina Lehmann (GER, Honda), -1 lap(s); 24. Barbara Aagaard Andersen (DEN, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 25. Alexandra Massury (GER, KTM), -1 lap(s); 26. Virginia Germond (SUI, KTM), -1 lap(s); 27. Adrija Skudutyte (LTU, KTM), -1 lap(s); 28. Priska Busatto (ITA, KTM), -2 lap(s); 29. Aneta Cepelakova (CZE, Yamaha), -2 lap(s); 30. Emanuela Maria Talucci (ITA, KTM), -2 lap(s); 31. Leah Chaput (FRA, Yamaha), -2 lap(s); 32. Gaia Franchi (ITA, Honda), -2 lap(s); 33. Matilde Style (STONE, GASGAS), -2 lap(s); 34. Alice Giorda (ITA, Yamaha), -3 lap(s); 35. Gaia Oddo (ITA, Honda), -3 lap(s); 36. Fiona Hoppe (GER, Yamaha), -5 lap(s); 37. Jenitty Van der Beek (NED, KTM), -7 lap(s); 38. Nancy van de Ven (NED, Yamaha), -11 lap(s);
By: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Gallery: #Facebook
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