Nancy van de Ven of Ghidinelli Racing won the first round of the Italian WMX series in Castellarano. Race finishes of second and first in the heats respectively were good enough to ensure victory and the early lead in the championship series,
“It was a difficult track, and I battled to find good lines. On Saturday I battled a bit, but on race day it all came to me. Conditions were tough, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees on Saturday and 35 degrees on Sunday,” Nancy said.
Nancy recovered from fourth to second in the first heat. She narrowed the gap to leader Kiara Fontanesi, but missed the victory with a mere 2.9 seconds.
A better start in race two had Van de ven slotted in directly behind Fontanesi, She kept up the pressure, but Nancy lost six seconds when encountering a lapped rider. She closed the gap to Fontanesi again. “I started the last lap with a deficit of five second. I gave it my all, and passed her in the last corner to take the win.”
The 2-1 results were always going to secure victory for Nancy, and she leads the championship going into the second round.
Overall Italian Championship Castellarano:
1 Nancy van de Ven 2-1
2 Kiara Fontanesi 1-2
3 Francesca Nocera 3-3
