Team switch yet to pay off for Duncan
Courtney Duncan is excited to have switched to a better-resourced team, even though that is yet to be reflected in her results this year.
The four-time Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) winner left British Kawasaki squad BIKE IT Dixon Racing Team late last year, moving to the Netherlands to join F&H Racing.
Duncan called the switch a no-brainer.
“I’ve now got more resources and other stuff than I had in the past,” the 28-year-old told the Weekend Herald. “The team and everything about them are much more in sync and aligns more with what my purposes are. I’ve also moved to Holland to work on the sand, which is a weakness of mine, and training in tougher conditions will be good for me.
“It’s a good change for me and a steep learning curve as well. I’m enjoying it, though, and I needed to move on.
“Here, I have the support and people I need at my fingertips, and it’s all for the better.”
“I’m really motivated at the moment. I want to see how many more wins and how good I can be, and the challenge of winning with a new team is rewarding.”
The opening two race weekends have indeed been a challenge for Duncan, who finished third and 19th in Spain in March before two fifth places in Sardinia in April.
That has left Duncan seventh overall on 54 points, 40 behind joint leaders Lotte van Drunen of the Netherlands and Daniela Guillen of Spain.
It can take time for a rider to get in sync with a new team, dealing with a different bike, engineers, mechanics and team set-up.
“It’s been a tough start to the season, no doubt. I’m not a quitter and I’ve just got to keep going and working, and hopefully things will be better this weekend,” said Duncan of the next round in Galicia in northwestern Spain.
“I had a knee operation during the off-season that has hampered things a bit. That put a stop to preseason training and that impacted my preparation for the opening races.
“All the testing I missed would have really helped with getting to know the team and bike before the start [of the season].
“The bike is still a Kawasaki, but there are quite a few things different, and I’ve had to make a few more adjustments than I thought.
“The new bike and everything are quite different to what I’m used to, and not having the pre-season has hindered me a bit.
“You just have to make the best of the situation. It’s not as if I haven’t had injuries before, I just have to work through it.”
Women’s motocross has become increasing popular, especially in Europe, and the standard is improving every year.
Italian Kiara Fontanesi has six world championships and Duncan is determined to eclipse her record.
“The packed surface of the track this weekend will favour me more than the opening races.
“It’s a new circuit for us [WMX] and I’ve never been there before. It’s a new circuit for everyone, which is exciting.
“We’ll just have to see how we go and I’m positive we’ll just keep getting better,” said Duncan.