Palmerston rider Courtney Duncan says it is not hard to keep her feet on the ground after a fantastic debut at the women's world motocross championships.
Duncan (20) will leave Dunedin today for the Netherlands where she will race in the second round of the championships, on the sand tracks of Valkenswaard, over Easter.
Duncan had a dream debut in the first round of the championships, winning both races in Qatar late last month.
She received a hero's welcome when she arrived back in Dunedin, but has put that behind her.
‘‘That had pretty much gone as soon as we got home. It was about switching focus and looking ahead,'' she said.
Duncan has been spending some time at Oreti Beach, near Invercargill, as she gets ready for the sand in the Netherlands.
‘‘You are looking at a different technique on sand. It can be a lot rougher, the track cuts up quite a lot. You get more exhausted as you have to hold on to the bike more and have bigger bumps.''
She raced in the Southland championships over the weekend, winning both the MX1 and MX2 grades.
It will be all new for Duncan as it is her first trip to Europe. She will base herself in Belgium initially and work with her mechanic on her bike.
Coach Josh Coppins will fly in for the race on the weekend.
Duncan said she did not know what to expect when she arrived in Qatar last month but just took it as it came.
She won the two races in Qatar quite convincingly and was looking to repeat on the sand in the Netherlands.
But it was not going to be easy with many top riders out to match her, she said.
She had qualified fourth in Qatar but said she was more of a racer then a rider.
It was not a total surprise to do so well in Qatar, as she had some impressive form back in New Zealand before the race, she said.
It has been confirmed she will compete in the other four rounds of the women's world championships - all the remaining races are in Europe - thanks to support from Yamaha and other sponsors.
