Kiwi KTM Star Continues to Impress in Europe 25 May 2015
Related articles
- Niki Roderick Extends Depth To New Zealand Record Sport
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- Australia Jumping on the Boy Bandwagon Living
- All Whites claim historic point Sport
- Prime Minister to travel to South Africa News
- Snow on The Remarkables Living
- Team Selected for Ultimate Ride Jet-ski Sport
- Trubridge Triumphs With Unassisted Freedive Record Sport
- New Zealand 2011 Business Club launched Business
- 300 feet down: two bare feet and one breath of air Living
Kiwi KTM Star Continues to Impress in Europe
Good luck and bad luck ... Waikato's Josiah Natzke experienced a little bit of both at the weekend's British Motocross Grand Prix.
The 16-year-old two-time and current New Zealand senior 125cc motocross champion from Hamilton is fast making a name for himself in Europe after again placing on the podium, this time at the fourth round of eight in this season's European 125 Motocross Championships (EMX125) at Matterley Basin, near Winchester, in south-west England.
Riding for the KTM Factory Junior Team and under the guidance of 10-time former world champion Stefan Everts, Natzke led the early stages of the first of his two 125cc races at the weekend, before dropping back to settle for seventh at the chequered flag.
He rebounded in race two the next day, actually crossing the line in second place, although he was later elevated to first position after the race winner, his own KTM team-mate Conrad Mewse, was docked 10 positions following a rule infringement.
British rider Mewse had jumped as yellow "caution" flags were being waved trackside, a huge no-no in this sport, and this cost him the outright GP win as well as disappointing his many home-country fans who were on hand to cheer for the youngster. Rather that celebrating the GP win, Mewse was instead credited only with seventh overall for the day.
For Kiwi hero Natzke, it was another fantastic result in his first fulltime season on the world stage.
Natzke had also celebrated a win at the previous round of this competition in Spain a fortnight ago, finishing 1-2 that day and only narrowly missing out on being awarded the GP overall as another KTM Factory Junior Team team-mate, Spanish rider Jorge Prado Garcia, recorded 2-1 results and won the day courtesy of the count-back rule.
Championship leader Prado managed just sixth and fourth in his two races at the weekend's British round, but the 14-year-old sensation still earned the third step on the podium and continues to lead the EMX125 championship, albeit now just five points ahead of the weekend's GP winner Maxime Renaux, the French rider who finished 1-2 at the spectacular Matterley Basin circuit.
Natzke said he was happy with his weekend.
He said he had some difficulty in the opening race after a close encounter that left his arm sore and made it difficult to hold on towards the end of the race.
“I wanted to redeem myself and today I am very happy,” he said.
Natzke had started his European campaign slowly, finishing 7-3 at the series opener in Italy in April and then 12-10 in his two outings at round two in the Netherlands a week later.
But, since then, he has emerged as a serious title threat for the crown and he is now third in the championship standings, just 18 points behind Renaux and 23 behind Prado.
The next round of the EMX125 Championship is set for Villars sous Ecot in France this coming weekend, on May 31.
Rounds are set to follow in Italy (Maggiora, June 14), Belgium (Lommel, August 2) and, finally, the championship wraps up in The Netherlands (at Assen, on August 30).
Natzke became the youngest ever rider to win a senior motocross title in New Zealand, at age 15, when he dominated the senior 125cc championships in 2014, before successfully defending his title, with support from the CMR Red Bull KTM team, in Pukekohe in March of this year, just a week before heading to Europe.
ENDS
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more