De Baets Yamaha Supported MX team’s Lotte van Drunen celebrated an emphatic Grand Prix win at round three of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in Lugo, Spain. After finishing as a close runner-up in Race One, the Dutch sensation charged to victory aboard her GYTR-kitted YZ250F in Race Two to claim her second overall victory of the season. As a result, van Drunen now holds a nine-point advantage at the top of the WMX Championship Standings.
Arriving in Spain as the red-plate holder after a stunning double race win at round two in Sardegna, van Drunen was focused on breaking away from her rivals by the end of the weekend. Early on Saturday morning she set the tone for another positive weekend by qualifying as the fastest rider by well over a second.
Despite not getting off to a great start in Race One, the 16-year-old made a series of quick passes and moved into third by the end of lap one. Shortly after, her closest championship rival, Daniela Guillen, fell, which gifted van Drunen second place. Within a few laps, van Drunen engaged in a tense battle for the lead with the defending World Champion Courtney Duncan and led momentarily before crossing the finish line in second.
Knowing victory in Race Two would secure overall victory, van Drunen took full advantage of a much better start. Once again engaging in a battle at the front of the field with Duncan, van Drunen powered past on lap eight and began inching away. Going on to win with a near 10-second margin underlined the talent of the youngster who claimed her second consecutive GP win and now leads the title race by nine points ahead of round four in Germany.
One week on from the epic mud race in Portugal, the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team was back in action in Spain for the fourth round of the EMX125 series. All three riders enjoyed the perfect track conditions, with Mano Faure demonstrating incredible consistency once again by posting a 5-5 result for fourth overall. The talented young Frenchman’s weekend was highlighted by holeshotting and leading Race Two for five laps before a small crash dropped him to fifth. Faure is now tied on points for fifth in the EMX125 Championship Standings.
At the same time, Dani Heitink delivered a breakout performance in Race Two with a stunning, career-first EMX125 race victory aboard his GYTR-kitted YZ125. The young Dutchman moved into second after Faure fell before making a crucial pass for the lead with two laps to go. Heitink ultimately placed fifth overall in Spain after claiming 16th in Race One to move up to seventh in the Championship Standings.
EMX125 round four was a tough and painful one for Jarne Bervoets. The young Belgian was hit by a few riders after he fell early on in Race One, but he courageously fought back to 21st. Lining up battered and bruised for Race Two, the young Belgian recovered from a first turn crash to cross the finish line in 14th for 20th overall. He now lies 11th in the EMX125 Championship Standings.
Round five of the EMX125 championship takes place next weekend at the MXGP of France in Saint Jean d’Angely with van Drunen back in action for WMX round four on June 1-2 at the MXGP of Germany in Teutschenthal.
Click here for all the WMX and EMX125 results from the MXGP of Galicia.
Watch the MX Vice Show with Tim Gajser and Giacomo Gariboldi
