Source: MXGP.

Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge has explained her disqualification from the Trentino round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in Italy on Sunday, costing her the series lead after a frustrating turn of events.

Rutledge won Saturday’s opening moto to extend her series lead (click here for report), however a crash while leading on Sunday saw officials ultimately strip her of any potential point-scoring finish.

The 19-year-old has been the class of the field to date in 2014 after storming to victory in Qatar’s season-opening round, now five points off the world title lead after assistance from a flag marshal led to her DQ.

“I’m so happy with how I’m riding, but so disappointed with the disqualification,” she explained. “I felt good all weekend but went down in a big way in the second moto. I was trying to tell the flag marshal not to assist me, I just wanted to roll down the hill to get started again, but there was definitely a language barrier in the way.

“He meant well but I was disqualified so I’m very disappointed. You don’t know how hungry I am to make up for this at Valkenswaard.”

The WMX will reach its halfway point with round three of six at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands on 4 May.