Mixed bag for Rutledge at 2014 FIM World WMX Rd2
Rutledge had won both motos at the FIM World WMX opener in Qatar, so came to round 2 in Trentino with a lot of confidence.
The 19-year-old started the weekend off brilliantly, qualifying in 2nd place to set herself up for a good gate pick.
In the first moto on Saturday, April 12, Meghan grabbed the hole-shot and never looked back, leading the entire race to take the win.
Meghan grabbed the hole-shot again in Sunday's race 2 and looked set for back to back moto wins again, but she crashed mid-race behind a lapped rider. Unfortunately a flag marshal assisted Rutledge's remount, which is against FIM rules, so she was stripped of any points she would have earned for the moto.
With a 1-x result for the weekend, Rutledge finished the round in 9th place and slipped to 3rd place overall in the championship standings, 5 points shy of the new leader.
A disappointed Meghan Rutledge says, "I'm so happy with how I'm riding but so disappointed with the disqualification.
"I felt good all weekend, but went down in a big way in the second moto. I was trying to tell the flag marshal not to assist me, I just wanted to roll down the hill to get started again but there was definitely a language barrier in the way. He meant well, but I was disqualified so I'm very disappointed."
Rutledge's French Kawasaki team mate, Livia Lancelot, finished on the podium in the first moto and fifth in the second moto, for a fourth overall for the round.
The 3rd of 6 rounds within the 2014 FIM Women's MX World Championship takes place at Valkensward in The Netherlands on May 4th.
2014 WMX - Round 2, Trentino - RESULTS
Race 1 result: 1. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), 25:00.375; 2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:04.899; 3. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:09.134; 4. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:17.193; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, Suzuki), +0:42.051; 6. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:55.748; 7. Francesca Nocera (ITA, Suzuki), +0:59.361; 8. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +1:11.352; 9. Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha), +1:30.820; 10. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki)
Race 2 result: 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 24:57.236; 2. Stephanie Laier (GER, Suzuki), +0:04.342; 3. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:04.743; 4. Francesca Nocera (ITA, Suzuki), +0:30.768; 5. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:40.196; 6. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Husqvarna), +0:48.048; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:50.427; 8. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:51.477; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:07.304; 10. Julie Dalgaard (DEN, Yamaha), +1:12.536; DNF. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki)
Round result - top ten: 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 45 points; =2. Stephanie Laier (GER, SUZ), 38; =2. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 38; =2. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 38; 5. Francesca Nocera (ITA, SUZ), 32; 6. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 29; 7. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 26; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, HUS), 25; 9. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 25; 10. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 23.
WMX World Championship Top Ten: 1. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 80 points; 2. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 78; 3. Meghan Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 75; 4. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 74; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, SUZ), 72; 6. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 60; 7. Francesca Nocera (ITA, SUZ), 60; 8. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 58; 9. Marianne Veenstra (NED, HUS), 47; 10. Justine Charroux (FRA, YAM), 42.
Images: courtesy of Kawasaki
