The fight to be WMX vice World Champion went right down to the wire in 2019. YZ250F mounted riders Nancy van de Ven and Larissa Papenmeier were never separated by more than 3-points throughout the five-round series as they went bar-to-bar for second position.
Going into the final round in Afyon, Turkey, Papenmeier had a slender 3-point advantage over van de Ven but ended up dropping back to third after falling in the opening race where she only recovered for eighth. Van de Ven put in two fantastic performances and finished an unchallenged third position in both races, which was enough to secure a fifth consecutive podium finish and the silver medal in the Championship.
Papenmeier was almost unable to line-up for the final race of the season due to an illness she picked up on the way to Turkey. Determined to finish the year with a medal, the '423' gritted her teeth and managed to round out the top-five and clinch third position in the championship.
