Australian riders played a major role at round two of the Women’s Motocross Championship at Thunder Valley, with Charli Cannon and Taylah McCutcheon both finishing on the overall podium behind reigning champion Lachlan Turner.
Racing at the high-altitude Thunder Valley Motocross Park, American rider Turner backed up her opening-round victory with another commanding 1-1 performance to strengthen her bid for a third consecutive WMX title.
The weekend initially belonged to Australian Charli Cannon, who topped qualifying aboard her Quad Lock Honda with a blistering lap time that placed her more than seven tenths clear of Turner and set the stage for a fierce battle between the championship rivals.
Moto one saw the Australians immediately at the front. McCutcheon grabbed the holeshot ahead of Cannon, while Turner started fourth. Cannon quickly moved into the lead and attempted to break clear, but Turner wasted little time carving through the field. After passing Mikayla Nielsen for second, Turner drew alongside Cannon on lap two and seized control of the race.
Cannon remained within striking distance until a crash on Thunder Valley’s uphill roller section ended her challenge for the win. Although she remounted quickly, Turner was gone, eventually taking victory by a massive 27.8-second margin.
McCutcheon capitalised on late drama when Nielsen suffered a mechanical issue on the final lap, allowing the Kawasaki rider to move into third and secure her first WMX moto podium finish. Reigning FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Lotte van Drunen finished fourth in her first-ever WMX moto appearance.
Turner’s moto win later came under scrutiny when officials determined she had violated a red-cross flag zone, resulting in a 10-point championship penalty. The sanction did not alter the moto result.
Moto two delivered another showdown between Turner and Cannon.
Turner launched to the holeshot and quickly built a gap before a small mistake saw her lose traction and crash, briefly handing the lead to Cannon. The Yamaha rider responded immediately, tracking down her rival and reclaiming the lead on the same lap.
From there Turner controlled the race, slowly edging away from Cannon to secure the win by 2.7 seconds and complete her second consecutive clean sweep of the season.
Behind them, Nielsen recovered from a seventh-place start to claim third, while McCutcheon held on for fourth despite battling tonsillitis throughout the weekend.
The overall result marked Turner’s seventh consecutive WMX moto victory dating back to last season and reinforced her status as the rider to beat in 2026.
Cannon fought through a shoulder injury sustained in her moto one crash to secure second overall with consistent 2-2 finishes, while McCutcheon claimed the first overall podium of her WMX career in just her second championship appearance with 3-4 results.
Dutch star Lotte van Drunen finished fifth overall in her highly anticipated American debut.
After two rounds, Turner and Cannon remain locked in a tight championship battle, separated by just four points, while McCutcheon sits third in the standings, 17 points behind the championship leader.
