As the demanding course and the hot and dry weather made it one of the toughest events so far in the season, the 34000 spectators attending the German round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship watched a rock solid home rider Steffi Laier take her third consecutive win.
KTM Germany’s Laier won from current series leader Livia Lancelot of GPKR and other German Maria Franke of Kawasaki Elf Pfeil. Leading after France, Yamaha Van Beers’ Katherine Prumm announced she will head back home to New Zealand after the left collarbone injury which prevented her from racing in Germany.
Top five overall: 1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 45 points; 2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), 45 p.; 3. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki), 44 p.; 4. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), 32 p.
MOTO 1
Mann took the holeshot but Lancelot stormed up to first before the end of the opening lap. The French took a dominant victory from Franke, who could not close the two second gap. The latter played defense in the final laps as Laier, who crashed at lap one, came back to her tail and eventually finished third. Mann and Veenstra rounded off the top five ahead of De Winter and Papenmeier, who crashed with five laps to go.
Top five: 1. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), 26:44.402; ; 2. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki), +0:01.915; 3. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), +0:02.386; 4. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), +0:48.774; 5. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Suzuki), +0:53.164
MOTO 2
Papenmeier took the holeshot with Lancelot moving past to try another escape as she did in the opening moto; Lancelot had to face the attacks of Laier, who moved past to leave the French in second place. In this case Lancelot had still the overall win in her hands but Franke’s successful move made her drop to third and lose the victory from Laier. Franke ended moto two in second place with compatriot Papenmeier taking an eventual fourth. Mann rounded off the top five.
Top five: 1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 27:09.779; ; 2. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki), +0:18.278; 3. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.390; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:51.249; 5. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), +0:57.474
IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
With Prumm out, Lancelot is back to the top of the standings but Laier is working her way up to the top. Only 20 points separate Lancelot from runner up Laier as Franke completes the top three, being as far from Lncelot as Laier. Missing this round, Fiolek dropped down to ninth.
Top ten: 1. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), 165 points; 2. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 145 p.; 3. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki), 145 p.; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), 124 p.; 5. Katherine Prumm (NZL, Yamaha), 122 p.; 6. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), 116 p.; 7. Elien De Winter (BEL, KTM), 110 p.; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Suzuki), 108 p.; 9. Ashley Fiolek (USA, Honda), 102 p.; 10. Marielle De Mol (NED, Yamaha), 67 p.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Women’s World Championship will be back to action at Lierop, The Netherlands, on September 7, for the fifth and final round. The MX1 and MX2 series will continue next weekend at Uddevalla, Sweden, with round nine of fifteen.
The Grand Prix was broadcast live on:
EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 N/A CET
MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:30 (slight delayed) CET
SPORT ITALIA (Italy): MX2 Race 2 at 15:00 CET
VRT (Belgium): MX1 Race 2 at 16:00 CET
GALAXIE SPORT (Czech Republic): MX2 Race 2 at 15:00 CET
ART (Pan Middle East): MX1 Race 2 at 14:00 GMT
SPORT TV (Slovenia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
EUROSPORT WORLD (PAN ASIA): MX1 Race 1 at 11:00 and Race 2 N/A GMT
MEDIAZONE (Worldwide): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
TRANS 7 (Indonesia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
The Grand Prix will be broadcast delayed on:
EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : Monday June 30; MX2 Class at 15:00 CET
SPORTITALIA (Italy): Sunday June 29; MX2 Race 1 at 13:00, MX1 Race 1 at 23:30 and Race 2 at 00:30 CET
VRT (Belgium): Sunday June 29; MX1 Race 1 N/A CET
EUROSPORT WORLD (Pan Asia): Monday June 30; MX1 Race 1 at 03:15 and at 17:30; MX2 Class at 18:15 and at 22:30. Tuesday July 1; MX2 Class at 03:30, at 11:00 and at 00:00 GMT
AMERICA ONE SPORTS (USA): Second Tuesday after the GP; MX2 Race 2 at 21:00; MX1 Race 2 at 22:00 USA Eastern Time
GAORA: MX2 Race 1 and Race 2; MX1 Race 1 and Race 2; N/A CET
Information, photos and results are online at http://www.motocrossMX1.com , the official website of the FIM Motocross World Championships.
MediaZone Moto is the leading global online broadcaster of Motocross and SuperMoto events. Fans worldwide can watch the thrills from this and every race of the 2008 FIM Motocross & SuperMoto World Championships LIVE and On Demand exclusively at www.MediaZoneMoto.com.
Youthstream is the company that manages the exclusive television, marketing and promotional world wide rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM SuperMoto World Championship, the FIM SuperMoto of Nations, the FIM Snowcross World Championship, the UEM Motocross European Championship and the UEM SuperMoto European Championship.
- Daniele RIZZI -
