Maria Franke On Pole For Third Women's World Championship Meeting

ST. JEAN D’ANGELY (FRANCE), 14 June 2008 – This third round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship saw a third different pole position setter today at St. Jean, where the series is taking place for its first time.

Maria Franke took the eventual pole from series leader Livia Lancelot and American Ashley Fiolek.

The three fastest Women’s World Championship riders of today

After Papenmeier and Lancelot, Kawasaki Elf Pfeil’s Marie Franke took her first Circuiti Gioielli Women Pole Position Award courtesy of a fantastic performance at her first competitive outing at the French track.

Home hero Livia Lancelot brought home the second quickest time despite a last lap try; the GPKR rider leads the points standings and will have all the support of the massive French crowd tomorrow when running after her second victory of 2008 and of her career as well.

Honda mounted Ashley Fiolek rounded off the top three; the American never saw this race track before but she found the right feeling soon as she enjoys hard pack courses such as the Circuit du Puy de Poursay.

Coming back to action after her World Championship debut victory from Mantova, KTM Germany’s Steffi Laier took the fourth place on the time sheets and showed a decent race pace for tomorrow.

Current runner up Katherine Prumm of Yamaha Van Beers rounded off the top five right ahead of Suzuki Inotec’s Larissa Papenmeier.

Marianne Veenstra, Elin Mann, Elien de Winter and Marielle de Mol rounded off the top ten.


Top ten of today’s qualifying: 1. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki), 2:03.643; 2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:00.753; 3. Ashley Fiolek (USA, Honda), +0:00.818; 4. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), +0:01.265; 5. Katherine Prumm (NZL, Yamaha), +0:02.077; 6. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:02.498; 7. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Suzuki), +0:02.801; 8. Elin Mann (SWE, KTM), +0:03.402; 9. Elien De Winter (BEL, KTM), +0:03.623; 10. Marielle De Mol (NED, Yamaha), +0:05.327

Maria Franke ended day one with pole

CIRCUIT DU PUY DE POURSAY AND SAINT JEAN D’ANGELY

The French hard pack course played host to the Motocross of Nations in 2000 and was back in the GP calendar last year after Ernée hosted to the 2006 French GP. Last year some sand has been added to the race track, where some obstacles were reshaped to offer new riding lines. In 2007 Yamaha completed a clean sweep at a sweltering St. Jean, with Coppins winning the MX1 class and Cairoli topping the MX2 podium.

The Circuit du Puy de Poursay

Saint Jean D’Angely is a French town surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape, characterized by the river Boutonne that flows through the town. St. Jean is 150 kilometres North of Bordeaux and the border to Spain and it has got a population of about 7500 inhabitants (data from 2006). Among the town’s most interesting and historical buildings are the Abbaye Royale (Royal Abbey) and the Fontaine du Pilori (Fountain of Pilori) which can be watched while walking through the traditional St. Jean d’Angely’s market which is on every Wednesday and Saturday.


THE EVENT’S SCHEDULE

Sunday June 15: KTM Trophy Warm Up at 8:30 am; Women’s World Championship Warm-up at 9:00 am; MX2 Warm-up at 9:30 am; MX1 Warm-up at 10:00 am; KTM Trophy Race 2 at 10:25 am; Women’s World Championship Race 1 at 11:10 am; MX2 Grand Prix Race 1 at 12:10 am; MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 at 1:10 pm; Women’s World Championship Race 2 at 2:10 pm; MX2 Grand Prix Race 2 at 3:03 pm; MX1 Grand Prix Race 2 at 4:03 pm; KTM Trophy Race 3 at 5:00 pm (local time).


The Grand Prix will be broadcast live on:

• EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : MX1 Race 2 at 16:00 CET

• MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET

• SPORT ITALIA (Italy): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET

• VRT (Belgium): MX1 Race 2 at 16:00 CET

• GALAXIE SPORT (Czech Republic): MX2 Race 2 at 15:00 CET

• ART (Pan Middle East): MX1 Race 2 at 14:00 GMT

• SPORT TV (Slovenia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET

• MEDIAZONE (Worldwide): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET

• TRANS 7 (Indonesia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET


The Grand Prix will be broadcast delayed on:

• EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : Sunday June 15; MX1 Race 1 at 15:00; Monday June 16, MX2 Class at 17:00 CET

• VRT (Belgium): Sunday June 15; MX1 Race 1 N/A CET

• EUROSPORT WORLD (Pan Asia): Sunday June 15; MX1 Race 1 at 19:30 and Race 2 at 20:15. Monday June 16; MX1 Race 1 at 02:00 and MX2 Class at 18:00. Tuesday June 17; MX2 Class at 00:00 and at 12:00 and at 22:00 GMT.

• AMERICA ONE SPORTS (USA): Second Tuesday after the GP; MX2 Race 2 at 21:00; MX1 Race 2 at 22:00 USA Eastern Time

• GAORA: MX2 Race 1 and Race 2; MX1 Race 1 and Race 2; N/A CET

LINKS
Youthstream
FIM
FFM-Fédération Française de Motocyclisme
Motoclub Angerien
Saint Jean D’Angely

Information, photos and results are online at www.motocrossMX1.com, the official website of the FIM Motocross World Championships.

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