Courtney Duncan closes in on record with opening-race victory in France

Courtney Duncan is now one ride away from creating a slice of history, after cruising to victory in the opening race of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in France on Sunday morning (NZ time).

The New Zealand ace needs just one more round win (competed for over two races) to become the most successful rider of all-time in the championship.

After triumphing in the season’s second round in Switzerland and the third round in Spain, the 27-year-old from Dunedin was parked on 21 round victories going into the fourth round of six, equal alongside six-time world champ Kiara Fontanesi.

And it was the Italian who was able to get closest to Duncan in the opener in Villars-sous-Écot, though that was still a whopping 27.263 seconds back from the flying Kiwi on the Kawasaki.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Duncan in the difficult conditions, mind you, moving from fourth to third to second midway through the race, but then tumbling off her bike at the top of a hill and re-emerging in fifth spot, before taking the lead on lap nine and not looking back.

It made it a fourth race win from seven starts this season for Duncan, who was the three-time defending world champion before having to settle for seventh last year due to a broken collarbone midway through the championship.

She has now extended her lead at the top of the standings, from 10 to 15 points, over Spaniard Daniela Guillen, who was third in the French opener, almost eight seconds behind Fontanesi.

The second race in France is on Sunday at 7.45pm (NZT).