The third round of the SML AMOQ SM Motocross Championship took place this weekend in Sipoo, Finland, and it was Sweden’s Tyra Bäckström who stole the show with a dominant performance, going 1-1 to take the overall win.
Strong weekend for Tyra Bäckström in Finland
Making the trip to Finland, Tyra Bäckström lined up at Sipoo as a guest entry and made an immediate impact. Riding her GasGas, the Swedish rider got off to a solid start in moto one, quickly moving into second position. It didn’t take long for her to take control of the race and secure a convincing win.
In the second moto, Bäckström faced more resistance but eventually overtook the early leader to claim her second win of the day. A perfect 1-1 score gave her the overall victory — and a valuable race-day training session ahead of future commitments.
Melissa Mäntylä and Carita Lomp on the podium
Racing her first round of the season, Finland’s Melissa Mäntylä (2-2) delivered a strong return to national competition. A good start in race one allowed her to briefly lead before being passed by Bäckström. In race two, Mäntylä led the majority of the moto before once again having to concede the win to the Swede. Still, a solid second overall for the Yoko rider.
With consistent rides of 3-4, Carita Lomp secured the third step of the podium. A strong start in the first race put her in podium position early, and despite a tougher second moto, she fought back to fourth. These results allowed her to gain valuable championship points on current leader Janette Mielonen.
Championship leader Janette Mielonen minimizes damage
Championship frontrunner Janette Mielonen (6-3) had a tough start to the day with a costly mistake early in the first moto. The Yamaha rider had to work her way through the field to salvage points. A third-place finish in moto two helped her limit the damage. She finished fourth overall on the day but still retains the championship lead, although her gap to Lomp has slightly decreased.
Hanna Mertsalmi delivered two consistent rides (5-5) to claim sixth place, showing good speed and resilience throughout the day. In seventh, Vivi Mönkö (8-7) remained steady across both races, keeping herself well within reach of a final championship podium. Vilma Forsgren impressed in the first moto with a P7 and followed up with a solid second race to finish eighth overall. Riina Lampinen was consistent with a pair of ninth-place results, taking P9 overall, while Sara Gåpå completed the top 10 with a 10-11 scorecard on the day.
