Round eight of the FIM Motocross MX3 World Championship and round six of the FIM WMX World Championship kicked off today at the hilly circuit of Pacov, Czech Republic.With sunny skies and a comfortable twenty-two degree atmosphere, the Czech fans couldn’t be more thrilled as their local star Orion-RS Petrol Team’s Frantisek Smola took the holeshot and dominated to take his second MX3 pole position of the year. While in the ladies division, Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge was a girl on fire, riding smooth and aggressive to claim also her second pole position of the year.
MX3
Clearly loving the familiar soil of his home country (Czech Republic), local kid Orion-RS Petrol Team’s Frantisek Smola was unstoppable today when he took the holeshot and checked out to take his second qualifying heat win of the season. Meanwhile championship points leader UFO Racing Team’s Klemen Gercar went into the qualifying race as the favourite to win after topping the charts in both practise sessions earlier in the day, but during the qualifying race it seemed the Slovenian was content with second and not prepared to do anything crazy. Clearly focusing on the championship Gercar rode calmly home for second, twelve seconds ahead of Frenchman Florent Richier in third. The biggest surprise of the day was Orion-RS Petrol Team’s Peter Bartos, the hometown hero Bartos flew in under the radar to take an outstanding fourth ahead of championship toppers RSC BUKSA/Ados’s Martin Michek and Team Hillinger KTM MX Racing Team’s Matthias Walkner who rounded out the top six.
WMX
Firing out the gate was Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge, the Australian went on to win despite an early challenge from the red plate holder Monster Energy Yamaha’s Chiara Fontanesi. After making an early charge for the lead, Fontanesi made an error which caused her to slow down and be passed by HM Plant KTM UK’s Natalie Kane. Kane then went on to take second place, while Fontanesi later admitted she isn’t feeling 100% due to personal reasons, the Italian did manage to hold on for third only one second ahead of ex world champion Rabbit Racing Kawasaki’s Stephanie Laier in fourth. Dutch Nancy Van de Ven finished a further eleven seconds back in fifth.
MX3 Qualifying race top 10: 1. Frantisek Smola (CZE, KTM), 25:47.658; 2. Klemen Gercar (SLO, Honda), +0:07.197; 3. Florent Richier (FRA, KTM), +0:19.587; 4. Petr Bartos (CZE, KTM), +0:22.535; 5. Martin Michek (CZE, KTM), +0:23.317; 6. Matthias Walkner (AUT, KTM), +0:32.875; 7. Jaromir Romancik (CZE, Suzuki), +0:36.115; 8. Marek Sukup (CZE, KTM), +0:38.167; 9. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:39.616; 10. Evgeni Tyletski (BLR, KTM), +0:41.606
WMX Qualifying race top 10: 1. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), 20:52.623; 2. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:05.161; 3. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:08.682; 4. Stephanie Laier (GER, Kawasaki), +0:09.420; 5. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, KTM), +0:20.919; 6. Francesca Nocera (ITA, Suzuki), +0:48.886; 7. Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:55.206; 8. Britt van der Wekken (NED, Honda), +0:56.846; 9. Marianne Veenstra (NED, KTM), +1:05.937; 10. Genette Vage (NOR, KTM), +1:07.937
The best moments of the eighth round of the FIM MX3 World Championship will be broadcast worldwide on MX-LIFE.TV and the 26 min magazine produced by Youthstream at the end of the event will also be broadcast on Fox Sports in Latin America thanks to the new agreement between Youthstream and the leading sports cable television network in Latin America, Fox Sports. By clicking here you will be able to download the complete TV coverage of the Czech round.
Click here to obtain the complete results
MX3/WMX Round of Czech Republic – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1950m
Type of ground: hard pack loam
Temperature: 24° C
TIMETABLE
Sunday: Women’s MX Warm-Up 10:00; MX3 Warm up 10:30; Women’s MX Race 1 12:30; MX3 Race 1 13:30; Women’s MX Race 2 15:30; MX3 Race 2 16:30.