Dunlop grips Kiara Fontanesi to 5th WMX World Title
Today saw Italy’s Kiara Fontanesi take her fifth FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in trying circumstances with the title decided on the last lap of the final race of the season.
The MXFontaRacing Syneco Yamaha rider won race one yesterday in the mud, but continued rain made the track treacherous for the title decider. Four riders were close in the standings, separated by a handful of points going into the last race, with Kiara second, three points behind the leader after winning WMX race one at the MXGP of Pays de Montbéliard in France.
After dropping to seventh on lap two, Kiara fought back, maintaining a pace to stay upright as riders struggled to stay on their bikes in the extreme conditions. On lap seven, the standings leader succumbed to the mud but Kiara kept going, crossing the line in third. The result was enough to win the Grand Prix and claim her fifth title by just one point.
It was a challenging year for Kiara, with just two Grand Prix wins, demonstrating the level of competition this season. Conditions were also difficult with several rain-soaked races in the 12 on the calendar. Kiara’s lowest points score was in the first race of the year when she finished 13th in a muddy Indonesian round. From there consistent points hauls were the key to being in title contention, with eight podium finishes, including two race wins, putting her where she needed to be going into today’s final race.
Kiara chose Dunlop Geomax MX3S for the full season.
Kiara Fontanesi:
“This is one of the best titles ever. The first was special but this is more special in a way. It has been a tough season with ups and downs and very tight in the points. This is definitely one of the best!”
Eddy Seel, Dunlop Event Leader:
“Many congratulations to Kiara and the team. It was a difficult season and in extremely difficult conditions in the last race. Her start was important – it was not an easy race but she believed that she could do it and continued to ride. Competition has been strong all year and I am sure Kiara will remember this title for a long time.”