Tears of happiness, relief and elation flowed for the second year in a row at the scenic setting of Loket as Kiara Fontanesi emerged victorious from a last-gasp FIM World Champions duel to claim her fourth consecutive world title. The Czech Republic hosted tense scenes again in the sixth round series between the defending number one and main rival Livia Lancelot with just two points the difference in the standings after a season-long scrap.
Lancelot finished ahead of the Italian on Saturday afternoon and closed the door a fraction of an inch by stretching the points margin to four. In the crucial race Sunday morning it was virtually over before it started. Lancelot’s Kawasaki developed technical problems on the sighting lap and the rules permitted that she could not use her second machine. Fontanesi had to refocus somehow and make sure of at least five points. ‘8’ ran to second – for the same ranking overall – and become the first female motocross athlete to win four WMX titles on the bounce.
“I never expected I could win the championship like this…but I never stopped believing I could do it,” she said. “I still cannot believe it at the moment, maybe tomorrow it will sink in but for sure I am really happy. It was really difficult to handle that situation [in the second moto] because you prepare your mind to go to the gate and do a particular race and everything changed in one second. I was a bit lost and had to handle the race bit-by-bit; it was probably my worst moto ever!”
There were green Monster Energy Kawasakis everywhere at the front of the MX2 class of MXGP at the Grand Prix of Czech Republic for the thirteenth round of eighteen. Max Anstie scooped his third moto win in a row…but then flipped out of the lead of the second race when it looked as though he’d clinch a second-straight GP success. It was left to brand-mate Jordi Tixier to fire his KX250F back into the top three with third place overall on what was a dramatic day for the championship.
The paddock was reeling from the latest injury news to former double MX2 champion Jeffrey Herlings on Saturday in an incident that also involved Tixier. The World Champion could not avoid hitting the fallen twenty year old in a sickening collision. Herlings’ season was over due to a dislocated hip and Tixier also needed a visit to the hospital to have stitches inserted in wounded arm.
On Sunday the Frenchman, who won his first grand prix at Loket twelve months previously, battled for the top three and eventually posted a 3-5 to tread the third step of the box and secure his sixth trophy of the campaign.
MX2 is now getting very interesting indeed. From Tim Gajser and Valentin Guillod tied on points in second place behind the departed Herlings there are another four riders – down to Anstie in seventh – separated by 62 points in total; so the game has been blown totally open for the five meetings and 250 that remain ready to be grabbed.
Tixier’s team-mate, Petar Petrov, drilled his Kawasaki to fifth overall and his best outing yet since joining the Monster Energy set-up – where he’ll remain for the next two seasons. Thomas Covington could not take any points from the first moto and was adrift of the top twenty overall.
Over in MXGP Tyla Rattray bagged a solid top ten finish with ninth position overall but team-mate Steven Frossard caught his right knee on the ground during Saturday’s programme and chipped a piece of meniscus away in the joint. The Frenchman did not have any pain but little movement in his leg and will require minor surgery this week.
Loket represented the last hard-pack meeting for MXGP on European soil in 2015. The next three rounds of the championship at Lommel, Belgium, Mantova, Italy and Assen, Holland through August are expected to involve sandy terrain before Grand Prix then travels to the Americas to close out the calendar in Mexico and the USA.