SEVLIEVO (BULGARIA), 4 April 2009 - The second edition of the
Women's World Championship begun under bright skies today as last
year's runner up Stephanie Laier is already halfway from victory.

Defending Champion Livia Lancelot was second ahead of Ashley Fiolek
as the German won the opening heat with the final heat set to be
broadcast live tomorrow.

The day heated up at the qualifying session where the trio Lancelot,
Laier and new entry Gieger ended on top with just 0.160 seconds in
between them. Lancelot ended on pole followed by the two rivals.

Steffi Laier of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing took the opening moto of
the 2009 season, the second of the Women's World Championship.

Laier battled it out with archrival Livia Lancelot of Kawasaki
Racing and with Ashley Fiolek of LS Motors Honda with the latter taking
the holeshot and leading during the opening laps.

Defending Champion Lancelot then moved past Fiolek and so did Laier
three laps later. The German came close to Lancelot and moved past her
with four laps to go. Eventually Laier pulled away and made it to the
chequered flag with a five second advantage over runner up Lancelot.
Fiolek was third.

Maria Franke and Elin Mann rounded off the top five as Tarah Gieger,
the first woman to have ever ridden a Red Bull Motocross of Nations
(Budds Creek 2007), recovered from dead last to 14th after a crash in
the opening laps.

WMX Qualifying top ten: 1. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), 1:58.275;
2. Tarah Gieger (USA, Yamaha), +0:00.019; 3. Stephanie Laier (GER,
KTM), +0:00.160; 4. Ashley Fiolek (USA, Honda), +0:00.634; 5. Nathalie
Kane (IRL, Suzuki), +0:01.178; 6. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki),
+0:01.619; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +0:02.051; 8. Elin Mann
(SWE, KTM), +0:03.776; 9. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Suzuki), +0:04.982;
10. Elien De Winter (BEL, Honda), +0:05.962;

WMX Race 1 top ten: 1. Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 25:05.680; ; 2.
Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.026; 3. Ashley Fiolek (USA,
Honda), +0:18.143; 4. Maria Franke (GER, Kawasaki), +0:49.973; 5. Elin
Mann (SWE, KTM), +0:53.950; 6. Nathalie Kane (IRL, Suzuki), +0:58.461;
7. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Suzuki), +1:19.660; 8. Elien De Winter (BEL,
Honda), +1:33.192; 9. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +1:33.339; 10.
Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:34.460;