The #151 blue Yamaha stood out at the Grand Prix of Germany thanks to the bright red number plate. Courtney Duncan, a 22 year old from Dunedin in New Zealand, ‘closed a book’ at the fast and daunting Talkessel circuit at Teutschenthal. It was here in the summer of 2016 that a rosy-faced rookie to the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship clipped a photographer, crashed and lost her lead in the series as well as time to recover from the broken bones that wrecked a dream debut.
Last Sunday Duncan was dominant. Her pursuit and relegation of world champ Kiara Fontanesi was executed with aplomb and then eclipsed by a masterful performance of control from the front on Sunday. It was the form of a number-one in the making and another episode for the racer that travelled from the furthest point imaginable to make her name.
Courtney is looking in fine shape for what is her third attempt at an FIM title. It is a campaign that is sprouting fruit of the lessons learned on the track, the frustrations and loneliness of existence halfway across the world, the pressure of a six round contest where the smallest error can resonate widely and white-hot determination to meet a goal…