WorldWCR: Chloe Jones grabs her first-ever pole at Magny-Cours
Superpole Highlights:
In the most hotly contested Superpole of the season so far, with the top five riders separated by just half a second, it is British rider Chloe Jones (GR Motosport) who scores her first ever WorldWCR pole after setting a blistering 1ā51.8 in the final nail-biting seconds.
Aware that every grid position counts this weekend, championship leader Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) worked hard for a front row start and was rewarded with eventual second place, less than a tenth from polesitter Jones.
Clearly keen to move up the championship standings on home turf, local rider Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) demonstrated expert knowledge of her home track to set an impressive 1ā52.0 and secure a spot on the front row for the first time.
Another rider hungry for points on French soil is Sara Sanchez (Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team), who lies just 1 point from third in the general standings. The Spaniard fought off stiff competition to place a convincing fourth today.
Separated from championship leader Herrera by just 9 points, title contender Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) lost valuable time after suffering a Turn 5 crash in the early stages. The Spaniard was nevertheless able to limit the damage and reserve fifth place on the grid for Saturdayās Race 1.
An emerging Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) put in her best qualifying performance of the 2025 season to round out the second row with the sixth fastest time.
Two more local riders keen to stand out in this weekendās 26-strong field are wildcards Line Vieillard (FT Racing Academy) and Justine Pedemonte (MDS), who have qualified seventh and ninth respectively for their first ever WorldWCR race.
Slotted between the French wildcards on row three is Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team). The Italian moved into third in the championship standings at Balaton, a position she is keen to defend in this weekendās races.
Crashes for Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports), Sonya Lloyd (Team Trasimeno) and Jamie Hanks-Elliott (Hanks Racing/2 Strokes Racing) unfortunately put paid to their chances of scoring a useful grid position today.
P1 | Chloe Jones | GR Motosport | 1ā51.868
āIt was tricky in morning practice as the track temperature was low and there were wet patches. I took it a bit too steady and finished P8, but the team and I knew that wasnāt too much of an issue, also because weāve tested here. In qualifying, I ran my own lap ā people were trying to follow me and me them ā but on that final lap I was by myself and am really happy to start from pole position tomorrow. All these tracks are new to me, so testing here was a massive help, as I can get up to speed much quicker on Friday if I already know the track. A huge thanks to the whole GR Motosport team ā I wouldnāt be here without them, so this result is for them. Iām ready to do my best tomorrow and go all out for the win.ā
P2 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team | 1ā51.926
āIām happy. I enjoyed myself in practice, though parts of the track were still a bit dirty. I knew it would be tougher in qualifying, as I wasnāt able to test here like some of the other riders. So, Iām very pleased to finish so close to first place and think I can improve in some sections and battle hard in tomorrowās race. If I can build a gap early on, then I will, but weāll have to see if itās possible. I know I can improve further anyway, and Iām focused. I think the championship will go to Jerez, but Iād like to build a points lead here to make it easier. Bea is very fast though, so weāll see what we can do.ā
P3 | Lucie Boudesseul | (GMT94-YAMAHA) | 1ā52.050
āI was pushing so hard for the front row today at my home track and to finish third is so cool and so exciting. This is my first WorldWCR front row and to achieve it at home makes it even better. Itās very different to race here as there are many fans, all of whom give me added motivation. I also like the track, which helps! I donāt have a race strategy yet, but Iāll think more about that this evening perhaps. This is still my first year and my first front row, so I want to build experience and feeling with the bike, enjoy the race, and see what happens.ā
Superpole Results
1. Chloe Jones (GR Motosport) 1ā51.868s
2. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) +0.058s
3. Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) +0.182s
4. Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +0.398s
5. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.433s
6. Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +1.143s
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Ā©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldWCR
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