[News]

Rutledge 2nd In 2014 WMX World Championship

10 years ago | Photos: Kawasaki Europe

After six gruelling rounds of racing, Australia’s Meghan Rutledge has finished the 2014 FIM Women’s World Motocross Championship in second Overall, after going 2-2 at the MXGP of the Czech Republic in Loket over the weekend.

Trailing by only four points heading into the final round, 18-year-old Rutledge from Picton, NSW put in her best efforts and rode her KX250F well to secure the podium finish in the 2014 World Championship.

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After holding an early second place in the first moto, Meghan crashed on the Loket track – a track she had never ridden before. The distance back to first was too great and she had to settle for second place.

In Sunday’s second moto, Meghan rode to the lead on lap five but knowing that her rival and points leader, Chiara Fontanesi, only needed to finish in third place or better to clinch the title, Meghan played it safe and settled for second place in the moto and with it, secured second place Overall in the championship.

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Meghan’s two podium finishes in each of the motos at the final round means that the multiple Australian MX champ finished inside the top three in 10 out of the 12 races that made up the series. She also won three of the six rounds.

“Of course I’m a little bit disappointed to miss the title by just a few points, but being second in the World Championship is awesome as it’s only my second year in the series and I will have many more opportunities to get this title,” said Rutledge. “I will come back next year and for sure I will be stronger as I will have more experience; for example I never rode before this weekend on a track like this one in Loket! It was tough to get used to it but I’m not looking for excuses; I made the best I could and I’m still happy”.

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“Fontanesi and Livy were really fast this weekend, unfortunately I crashed in the first race and I couldn’t battle with Chiara for the moto win; in the second race today Livia was really fast, it would have been nice to win the race but I rode safe as I wanted to secure the final result in the series,” continued Rutledge.

“I’d really like to thank Bud Racing Kawasaki Monster Energy for the opportunity they’ve given me this year and my sponsors, Kawasaki Australia, Fox, Eve, Moss Institute and Easternwell Group,” Rutledge concluded.

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2014 WMX World Championship Final Standings:

1. Chiara Fontanesi, 255

2. Meghan Rutledge, 250

3. Livia Lancelot, 232

4. Stephanie Laier, 212

5. Nancy Van De Ven, 182

6. Larissa Papenmeier, 172

7. Natalie Kane, 151

8. Anne Borchers, 145

9. Marianne Veenstra, 127

10. Francesca Nocera, 115

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