WMX World Champion and Red Bull Teka Factory Racing rider Steffi Laier of France dominated the first WMX GP on the circuit at Sevlievo, Bulgaria on Saturday with back-to-back moto wins to grab the red plate as championship leader after the first round.
Right from the qualifying race it was obvious that Steffi remains in a class of her own. She mastered difficult conditions that were dry, dusty and very windy and led from the drop of the gate to the checkered flag every time she went out on the track. She finished almost 18 seconds up on second placed Livia Lancelot of France in the first moto and in the second moto she was 10 seconds ahead going in to the final lap but eased back and took the comfortable victory with more than three second to spare.
All indications are that any rider with Steffi in her sights will again have to work very hard to catch the talented German rider.
Steffi Laier: It was strange to have the two races on the one day and with the second one when it was already getting dark. The second moto was not so easy on the one hand but also not so difficult. We were fighting in the first four laps but then I found my rhythm but in the end I was flying blind because of the problems with the sun and the dust."
In 2011 the women opened their season together with the MX1 and MX2 riders on the Bulgarian circuit but for the rest of the season they will race with the MX3 riders. They race nine GPs in 2011 and their next outing is on April 17 at Megalopolis in Greece.
Steffi, like many of the women competing in the WMX is apprehensive about what to expect when the competition switches to the MX3 circuit as from the next race. her arch rival Livia Lancelot has decided to quit the competion and move onto other things and she expressed concern that so far there were only nine riders confirmed for the next races. "I really don't know what to expect," she said. "I feel good here with the team and racing the same weekends as MX1 and MX2 and I will miss all that."
WMX GP
1, Steffi Laier, Germany, KTM,(takes red plate as championship leader) 25-25--50
2, Larissa Pappenmeier, Germany, KTM Sarholz, 18-22—24
3, Chiara Fontanese, Italy, Yamaha, 20-20—20
4, Francesca Nocera, Italy, KTM 16-18—34
5, Marielle de Mol, Netherlands, TM 15-15—30