This third round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship saw a third different pole position setter today at St. Jean, where the series is taking place for its first time.
Maria Franke took the eventual pole from series leader Livia Lancelot and American Ashley Fiolek.
After Papenmeier and Lancelot, Kawasaki Elf Pfeil’s Marie Franke took her first Circuiti Gioielli Women Pole Position Award courtesy of a fantastic performance at her first competitive outing at the French track.
Home hero Livia Lancelot brought home the second quickest time despite a last lap try; the GPKR rider leads the points standings and will have all the support of the massive French crowd tomorrow when running after her second victory of 2008 and of her career as well.
Honda mounted Ashley Fiolek rounded off the top three; the American never saw this race track before but she found the right feeling soon as she enjoys hard pack courses such as the Circuit du Puy de Poursay.
Coming back to action after her World Championship debut victory from Mantova, KTM Germany’s Steffi Laier took the fourth place on the time sheets and showed a decent race pace for tomorrow.
Current runner up Katherine Prumm of Yamaha Van Beers rounded off the top five right ahead of Suzuki Inotec’s Larissa Papenmeier.
Marianne Veenstra, Elin Mann, Elien de Winter and Marielle de Mol rounded off the top ten.
Top ten of today’s qualifying: 1. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki), 2:03.643; 2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:00.753; 3. Ashley Fiolek (USA, Honda), +0:00.818; 4. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), +0:01.265; 5. Katherine Prumm (NZL, Yamaha), +0:02.077; 6. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:02.498; 7. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Suzuki), +0:02.801; 8. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), +0:03.402; 9. Elien De Winter (BEL, KTM), +0:03.623; 10. Marielle De Mol (NED, Yamaha), +0:05.327
CIRCUIT DU PUY DE POURSAY AND SAINT JEAN D’ANGELY
The French hard pack course played host to the Motocross of Nations in 2000 and was back in the GP calendar last year after Ernée hosted to the 2006 French GP. Last year some sand has been added to the race track, where some obstacles were reshaped to offer new riding lines. In 2007 Yamaha completed a clean sweep at a sweltering St. Jean, with Coppins winning the MX1 class and Cairoli topping the MX2 podium.
Saint Jean D’Angely is a French town surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape, characterized by the river Boutonne that flows through the town. St. Jean is 150 kilometres North of Bordeaux and the border to Spain and it has got a population of about 7500 inhabitants (data from 2006). Among the town’s most interesting and historical buildings are the Abbaye Royale (Royal Abbey) and the Fontaine du Pilori (Fountain of Pilori) which can be watched while walking through the traditional St. Jean d’Angely’s market which is on every Wednesday and Saturday.
THE EVENT’S SCHEDULE
Sunday June 15: KTM Trophy Warm Up at 8:30 am; Women’s World Championship Warm-up at 9:00 am; MX2 Warm-up at 9:30 am; MX1 Warm-up at 10:00 am; KTM Trophy Race 2 at 10:25 am; Women’s World Championship Race 1 at 11:10 am; MX2 Grand Prix Race 1 at 12:10 am; MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 at 1:10 pm; Women’s World Championship Race 2 at 2:10 pm; MX2 Grand Prix Race 2 at 3:03 pm; MX1 Grand Prix Race 2 at 4:03 pm; KTM Trophy Race 3 at 5:00 pm (local time).
The Grand Prix will be broadcast live on:
EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : MX1 Race 2 at 16:00 CET
MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
SPORT ITALIA (Italy): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and 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
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) : Sunday June 15; MX1 Race 1 at 15:00; Monday June 16, MX2 Class at 17:00 CET
VRT (Belgium): Sunday June 15; MX1 Race 1 N/A CET
EUROSPORT WORLD (Pan Asia): Sunday June 15; MX1 Race 1 at 19:30 and Race 2 at 20:15. Monday June 16; MX1 Race 1 at 02:00 and MX2 Class at 18:00. Tuesday June 17; MX2 Class at 00:00 and at 12:00 and at 22:00 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 -
