Fontanesi in stunning Lierop victory
The final round of the 2009 FIM Motocross Women’s World Championship at Lierop in Holland was a surprise stage for the teenage talents of Yamaha 3C Racing’s Chiara Fontanesi. The 15 year old from Parma not only gave her native Italy two causes for celebration on the same weekend that Tony Cairoli became MX1-GP world champion but also provided the rare sight of a two-stroke machine on a Grand Prix podium thanks to her efforts of 1st and 2nd positions for 2nd overall on a YZ125. In two years of the female series receiving FIM status and from a further two years previously as a ‘World Cup’ Fontanesi’s success was the first for Yamaha.
Fontanesi’s previous best result in the 2009 campaign had been 7th position taken at the Grand Prix of France and her effective speed in the sand of Lierop for the Dutch meeting of the seven-race competition that runs concurrently with the MX1-GP and MX2-GP contests was unexpected to all; except the rider herself.
“I had been training for a few weeks in the sand before the GP and I thought a good result might be possible but when I saw the times on Saturday in practice I believed a podium would be very difficult,” she said after setting the 11th best lap in the first session. “I then started quite well in both heats and felt really comfortable with the pace I was running.”
“It was incredible to win that first moto and Stephanie pushed right until the end. This is a dream result to end the season,” she added.
The youngster had her first off-road race as a five year old and the sound of the YZ125 two-stroke chimes brought back pleasant memories for spectators around the circuit who last saw one of the machines triumph in the 2004 MX2-GP series before four-strokes came to rule the scene.
Fontanesi has been riding for the Italian 3C Racing squad this season and accumulated points in 6 of the 7 events to place 9th in the world ranking at her first attempt. Expect more from this new star in 2010.
Motourage Online