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PREVIEW: Herrera, Neila and the rest of the grid get set to lock horns in France in the 2025 WorldWCR season’s penultimate round

Herrera is the rider perched atop the rest, but can she hold off a determined #36?

The gloves are coming off as the second-ever FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship season as the campaign picks up steam heading into the final third of the season. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) leads the fastest women on two wheels into the French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours from the front of the pack, but will her slim lead over Beatriz Nelia (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) and the rest of the field behind her hold? The upcoming weekend holds all the answers as the WorldWCR field heads for the first time to Magny-Cours.

TITLE RIVALS: Herrera hopes to hold off Neila

In Hungary last time out, Herrera and Neila traded P1 and P3 across the pair of races, finishing the weekend with the same nine-point difference that they came into the round with. Now, back from the summer break, the pair get set to lock horns again as they ride 51 points ahead of the rest of the pack. Both riders have ridden here, albeit in different competitions, but the edge in experience goes to Herrera, as she recorded the stronger of the pair’s results here, a WorldSSP300 P4 back in 2018. For Neila, she has shown she has the pace to hang with Herrera every step of the way, and with so little to divide the two stars, whoever can be more clinical and execute across the span of the weekend will take home the lion’s share of the points. Critically, if Herrera can earn cumulatively 42 points across the weekend, she will clinch her first World Championship; that is, if she can manage a P1 and a P2, the title is hers for the taking.

PONZIANI CLINGS TO P3: The Italian strives to hold off Sanchez, currently a single point ahead

Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) sits in third place currently, and while her pace hasn’t quite been as strong as the showing she put on in Round 2 at Cremona, a single point separates her from Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team). Sanchez has posted similar results as Ponziani in recent rounds, fourth and fifth place finishes with the odd podium here and there; however, don’t be deceived by these results, very frequently they are in the battle at the front, and any potential position they could be deprived from Neila or Herrera could have immense Championship implications. Behind the pair in P5, British rider Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport) has taken a step since her home round two rounds ago at Donington. Her first full season in WorldWCR has taken her some time to get acclimated. Still, after a maiden podium at home, she followed that up with a pair of P2s at Balaton, very positive stuff from the English 21-year-old who now sits 18 points behind Sanches in P4 and 19 points behind Ponziani in P3.

HOME AT LAST: Boudesseul looks to show out for her home crowd

With 70 points to Jones’s 93, Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) sits in P6, not quite out of contention for improving her position. One of the best things going for Ruiz has been her improvements in Tissot Superpole events. Last round, she set her season high qualification of P, helping her to a solid pair of P6 finishes on the weekend. Nine points behind Ruiz, Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) continues her campaign in P7. Madrigal’s pace has declined slightly over the last two rounds; the summer break will have given Madrigal vital time to go back to the drawing board and iron out any nagging issues that her time might be having. Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) in P8 is a dark horse to keep an eye on here in her home round. A single point behind Madrigal, the French rookie enjoyed a breakout P4 for her best result of the season, and now riding into her home round, she will have home support from the fans on her side.

LEWIS AND RELPH REPRESENTING OCEANIA: The Kiwi and the rider from Oz round out the top 10

Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports) returns from the month-long break in P9; she trails Boudesseul by a mere two points. Her most recent result was a P7 at Balaton’s Race 2, but as was seen in her season-opening P4, she has the pace to fight for the podium. Just seven points behind Lewis, Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) closes out the top ten as she looks to return to her early-season form, such as her season high of P6. Magny-Cours provides an excellent chance for the Aussie to get back on the horse after her Race 1 crash saw her miss valuable points at Balaton.

NEW FACES: Pedemonte and Vieillard to make wildcard appearances

Substituting for Billee Fuller (Carl Cox Motorsports), British rider Kate Hand takes the helm for her team. Chilean rider Isis Carreno (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) looks to make her return after she has been unfit with injury since Race 2 at Cremona, and awaits the all-clear on Thursday for official confirmation. Justine Pedemonte (MDS) and Line Vieillard (FT Racing Academy) will hope to play the role of home heroes as they make wildcard appearances at Magny-Cours.

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