Herrera beats Carrasco in thrilling opening round of Women’s World Championship
Reporting direct from the WorldWCR round at Misano
Confirmed last-minute as competing in the inaugural FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, Maria Herrera beat career-long rival Ana Carrasco to a pair of splendid victories in the championship’s opening races at Misano. It was a perfect start for the 27-year-old from Toledo in Spain and showed there is real speed at the front of the field. However, a cloud hovered over the event following a heavy accident for Norway’s Mia Rusthen in which she sustained a serious head injury.
In qualifying, Herrera (KLINT Forward Factory Team) edged out Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) by just 0.051 seconds, with Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) a further tenth adrift. They locked out the podium in the races of Saturday and Sunday, with Herrera winning by less than a second on both occasions while displaying tremendous racecraft and courageous overtaking. The second race saw Bea Neila (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) join in the fight, ending the weekend fourth equal on points with Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team).
In the paddock, the new female series was a favourite amongst the fans as visitors of all ages stopped in the WorldWCR ‘village’ for photos and autographs as well as getting up close and personal with the Yamaha R7 bikes. Lincolnshire’s Lissy Whitmore, the only British rider on the grid, finished 18th for Sekhmet
Motorcycle Racing Team in Race 1 but missed Race 2 due to a bout of acute gastroenteritis.
There is great concern following the heavy crash in Race 1 for Mia Rusthen (Rusthen Racing). The 22-year-old, who has spent several seasons in the Super
