Duncan to be smarter in world title attempt
REDEMPTION awaits Palmerston’s Courtney Duncan in the first round of the Motocross World Championships in Italy this weekend.
Duncan finished third in last year’s world championships under controversial circumstances after being hampered by crashed riders and then also crashing herself.
She plans to stay well away from any of that kind of trouble this year.
‘‘I need to be smarter this season,’’ Duncan said.
‘‘I still have the same mindset I have always had — I want to win races — but I’ll also be thinking a lot more carefully about the risks I might have to take to achieve that.
‘‘I just need to consistently keep putting points in the bank.’’
Duncan’s more cautious approach to racing has been endorsed by her team manager, Josh Coppins.
‘‘It would have been fairly clear to everyone involves that Courtney was the world’s fastest female these past two years. If she can minimise her mistakes, she can win the world title.
‘‘She has to realise that finishing second or third is better than not finishing at all.’’
A mix of controversy and bad luck hindered her finish in the final leg of last year’s tworace competition in France.
Diverting to avoid a big crash in the first of two races in the final round led to Duncan crashing into a fence before finishing sixth.
A race jury initially changed the race placings because of the chaos the crashes caused and awarded Duncan victory, as she was leading the race with a lap to go.
A brilliant win in the second round of the French round elevated her to first in the World Championship standings.
So fast was Duncan in her second race, she lapped all but one rider in the race.
But she was denied the crown because the jury’s earlier decision changed after it received legal advice.
Duncan then dropped to sixth in the first French round and third in the world championship standings.
Her quest for redemption for the world crown that got away starts in Trentino, Italy, this weekend.
The sixleg series will also be contested in Portugal and the Netherlands, with two more legs in Italy before the series finishes on September 30.