After a first edition last year in Sweden, the Women’s World Cup started this weekend in Germany. New Zealander Katherine Prumm (Kawasaki) and French Livia Lancelot (Yamaha) shared the first positions and will arrived in Uddevalla (Sweden) for the second and last round of the series equal in the standings.
Only thirty of the firty ladies involved qualified for the Grand Prix on Saturday, and on Sunday the first race of the women was the most exciting of the weekend as Lancelot and Prumm battled during most of the race and started the last lap side by side on the final jump!
Last lap of the first race: Livia Lancelot (Yamaha n°3) leads Katherine Prumm (Kawasaki n°2) through the lappers
German Stephanie Laier (KTM) got the holeshot in the first heat, but Lancelot passed her promptly to lead the entire race. In fourth position at the start Prumm came back second at mid race, and then reduced the gap with Lancelot. They did the last four laps together, and Lancelot just kept an advantage of 1.7 second over her rival! Laier grabbed another holeshot in the next race, but Prumm was right behind and took the lead in the second circulation. Lancelot also passed Laier in the fourth lap to finish second. These three ladies were far from the rest of the pack, and will battle for the World Cup beginning of July in Sweden.
Katherine Prumm: “In the first race I struggled a little bit, I was only sixth at the start. The track was quite difficult to pass but I kept on working hard, I was a little bit nervous and had pumped arms. When I came second I tried several times to pass Lancelot for the win, but at the end it was not easy with the lappers. My second start was awesome, thanks to my powerfull Molson Kawasaki! I’m of course happy to lead the Cup, I’ve been working so hard since two or three years to come at this level. The GP riders were really friendly with us, especially Tyla Rattray, Gareth Swanepoel and Josh Coppins. I was a few days in his house and was able to practice in Belgium, now I will fly to the US for two races at Glenn Helen and Hangton, and will be back for Sweden.”
Heat one: 1.Lancelot (FRA, Yamaha); 2.Prumm (NZL, Kawasaki); 3.Laier (GER, KTM); 4.De Winter (BEL, Yamaha); 5.Papenmeier (GER, Honda); 6.Haupt (GER, Kawasaki); 7.Karlsson (SWE, Yamaha); 8.Veenstra (NED, Suzuki); 9.Lemp (GER, KTM); 10.Mann (SWE, KTM); etc…
Heat two: 1.Prumm; 2.Lancelot; 3.Laier; 4.Papenmeier; 5.Mann; 6.Haupt; 7.De Winter; 8.Williams (GBR, Honda); 9.Veenstra; 10.Karlsson; etc…
World Cup standings: 1.Prumm, 47 pts; 2.Lancelot, 47; 3.Laier, 40; 4.Papenmeier, 32; 5.De Winter, 32; 6.Haupt, 30; 7.Mann, 29; 8.Karlsson, 25; 9.Veenstra, 25; 10.Lemp, 21; etc…