The opening race of the WMX World Championship final unfolded this Saturday under the blazing sun of Darwin, Australia. Although only eight regular GP contenders lined up, twelve Australian hopefuls filled the grid to test themselves against the world’s best.
From the very start, six-time world champion Kiara Fontanesi stamped her authority on the race. Grabbing the holeshot, the Italian quickly opened a gap and never looked back, securing a commanding win that underlined her experience and resilience. Daniela Guillen looked like the rider capable of threatening Fontanesi. The Spaniard sliced through the pack in the opening corners but suffered a crash on the third lap after colliding with Charli Cannon’s bike. Despite the setback, she recovered quickly and charged back to second place, keeping her title hopes alive. Behind them, Lotte van Drunen delivered another consistent ride to claim third. The De Baets MXGP Team rider now holds an eleven-point lead in the standings and needs only a steady result in tomorrow’s decisive race to seal her second world crown.
Belgian rider Amandine Verstappen finished in a strong fourth position. With a sharp start and consistent pace, the Newbike Yamaha rider climbed to fourth in the championship, one point ahead of Germany’s Larissa Papenmeier. Papenmeier slipped at the start and was left dead last, but her determination carried her through the field to an eventual fifth-place finish. Their close points battle promises a thrilling showdown in the final race. Australia’s Taylah McCutcheon impressed early on in front of her home fans. The Empire Kawasaki rider launched off the line with the leaders and fought hard against the world’s top names. Fatigue, however, set in during the closing stages, and she slipped to sixth by the finish, still securing the best Australian result of the day.
Charli Cannon, tipped as a podium contender on home soil, showed aggression from the outset and slotted into second place on the opening laps. Unfortunately, her crash on the third lap cost her valuable time, and despite a spirited comeback, she was unable to rediscover her rhythm, crossing the line outside the top spots. Madi Simpson rode a steady race to claim eighth, proving her consistency once again. She fended off fellow Australian Madison Healey, who finished ninth after a strong battle. Both riders earned valuable results for the local crowd. Sweden’s Nellie Fransson closed out the top ten, scoring her best finish yet in the WMX World Championship
Behind her, Australian Darci Whalley put in a promising ride to take eleventh, showing a pace that could translate into a higher result tomorrow. Germany’s Alexandra Massury followed in twelfth after a difficult start, but she managed to claw her way back through the field.The closing positions in the top fifteen went to Australian Leah Rimbas in thirteenth, who held off compatriot Mia Tongue and Czech rider Aneta Cepaláková.
Just behind, Taylor Thompson looked set for a top-ten result before a costly mistake pushed her down the order. The points were rounded out by Emily Lambert, Felicity Shrimpton, Samantha Macarthur, and Sienna Giudice, who all brought home solid finishes in front of their home fans. With Fontanesi back on the top step, Guillen and van Drunen in the hunt, and the Australians showing grit on home soil, all eyes now turn to tomorrow’s decisive race that will crown the 2025 WMX World Champion.