The defending champion will start as the man to beat. Ryan Villopoto isn't always the fastest on the track, but crucially he does what he has to do, when he has to do it, in order to win championships. It is that ability to accept a defeat but win when the chips are down that makes him the favourite again for 2012. Villopoto gets the job done, he has that little chip on his shoulder and has 100% focus on his job.... and that is how Ryan sees motocross, it isn't fun or a hobby, it is something right now that he is paid to do. He doesn't care about celebrity or hype, he just wants to win, and Villopoto will give everything he has to accomplish that goal.
Chad Reed can never be counted out, he blew some peoples minds last year coming so close to a title on his own team, but it wasn't really a surprise. Reed is always there, he is smart, calculated, headstrong and always in control. This year Reed has a full factory Honda at his disposal, and with Mike Gosselar back in his camp, Reed will be able start the season stronger, and, if he gets his nose in front early he could be hard to stop. Chad forces riders to ride their perfect race to beat him, and it is hard to ride the perfect race seventeen times in a row in supercross.
Ryan Dungey could've have won the Supercross title last year, a mechanical arguably prevented his series win, but the truth is Ryan was always there, but never really there for the title. He one won race all year, and suffered bad starts for a large part of the season. This year is fascinating as Ryan is back with his trusted team manager DeCoster but on a brand new machine with KTM. The diacotemy of familiarity and change is the reverse of last season, but it seems Ryan places DeCoster as more important than the machine, and he has the belief that DeCoster can get this KTM to a place where he can win the Supercross title on it.
With the success DeCoster and Dungey have had in the past, and the success KTM have had in the World Championship it is a recipe for winning US titles - but will they discover the perfect mixture in their first season? Dungey showed he is already close with his performance in the Monster Energy cup, you can never count Ryan out, but he will need to show more aggression, and get better starts compared to 2011, even if the bike is ready to win.
This brings us to James Stewart. Let's start with the obvious, James Stewart's raw speed is absurd. No-one has the raw speed and explosivness out of the corners that James has, but right now the rest are closer to that pace than they ever have been. Stewart needs to ride at 110% to be faster than these guys now, and that is when he makes mistakes. When Stewart didn't ride at 110% the other guys were just as fast and could beat him, when he did ride at 110% to prove a point he crashed. Alot.
Stewart still won races when he found the right balance with himself (and the Yamaha). So he still has what it takes to win. For 2012 he has signed with JGR Yamaha, and is back with his former mechanic Jeremy Albrecht, with whom he had much success with Kawaski. He also has the vast resources of JGR to make the bike more suited to him, so maybe, just maybe, James will refocus 100% on the sport and restablish himself as the the best supercross rider there is. He has no more excuses with that team around him, he can do it, but the question remains, will he accept losing some battles in order to win the war?
The final member of the big five is Mr Trey Canard. The nicest guy in the sport, Canard had been a revelation in his debut season on the 450. A stunning style with memorable scrubs and blazing speed until injury stoppped him, essentially sums up his 2011 supercross season. This year Trey is coming back after his second broken leg, and, if he finds the speed from last year he will be a contender. Trey seems to perform better when the pressure is off, his two championships came when no-one expected him to win. If Trey can take the pressure off himself, just relax, believe, and ride like he can, there is no reason why he can't win this title. If he does there will be no better SX champion for kids to aspire to be.
It is hard to look past these five as the potential champion, but there are plenty of riders who, on their day, will be able to challenge for podiums and wins, especially Josh Grant.
Grant has the talent and speed of the top five, but as of yet he has never been able to put a consistent season together. Knee injuries ruined last season, and he is only now getting back on the back, which doesn't leave him much time to prepare himself or his Jeff Ward racing Kawasaki. Ward has expressed his belief in Josh and insists he is the man to steer Grant in the right direction and show him how to be a consistent top runner and championship challenger. Let's hope so, Josh has too much talent not to be up there.
Davi Millsaps falls into a similar category, this year he is team mates with James Stewart and again, everyone is wondering if this will be the year he can ride to his potential. Like Grant, Davi is coming of injuries, but, like Grant, if everything clicks he has the stuff to run with the top five.
Kevin Windham is always a threat to win races, and it is still great to be able to watch Mr Smooth racing with the latest generation of top riders. On talent alone Windham may be the best, but mentally he has always struggled under pressure, and with a family now, Windham isn't willing to hang it out when he isn't comfortable, but when he is on there is no-one better to watch.
Andrew Short was sixth last year on the 350 KTM, but this season has made the move back to his beloved Honda with the Larry Brooks/ Jeremy McGrath team. Short is solid, professional and consistent but has yet to win a supercross, and that will no doubt be his goal for 2012. However, it is hard to see him bettering his sixth position from last season if the top five stay healthy again, but, with Jeremy McGrath in his corner, Short will be determined to be more than best of the rest this year.
Jake Weimar is the big unknown, he was injured prior to last season and only rode the final few races, this season he is healthy and ready to do battle. Weimer wants to be a regular top five guy, he battled and beat Dungey and Canard in the lites Supercross racs and he believes he can do it again on the 450. He has a great style and technique for supercross, but the second year factory Kawasaki rider really has to prove he can do it this year.
The 2012 supercross season is so stacked, we never even mentioned the consistent and reliable Brett Metcalfe, but Supercross has never been his strong point and top tens and top five will be a success for him.
The two dark horses this year could well be Kyle Chisholm and Justin Brayton.Chisholm is the quiet achiever and is a good bet for top ten this year on Jeff Ward's Kawi team. While Brayton showed good speed last year on the JGR Yamaha, but with Honda he will be expected to be challenging the front guys regularly in the main events, can he step up and deliver? It remains to be seen, but Brayton will give 100%.
Other big names include the fast but fragile Austin Stroupe, Jimmy Albertson, Mike Alessi, Ivan Tedesco, Josh Hansen, Josh Hill, Nico Izzi, Nick Wey, Broc Tickle, Michael Byrne and Ryan Morais. With the series so deep it will be an achievement to make the main if the talent remains injury free, one thing is for sure - starts will be more vital than ever!
Supercross 2012 will be mega, only a month to go...
Thursday 1 December 2011
Thursday 21 July 2011
Chad Reed - Inspiration
Chad Reed is one of the best motocross/supercross riders that has ever lived. We knew that before the events at Millville, but his ride to fourteenth after his frightening crash will cement his name forever in the annuls of motocross history and his status as a legend.
Chad Reed has never been out of the top three (except for injury in 2010) since the start of his professional career in the top tier of the sport. Since 2001, when Chad came second in the 250cc World Championship (still one of his most impressive achievements in my eyes), he has always been in the top three of the US mx or sx series, and indeed 10 years later he finished second in the 2011 Supercross Championship and is currently leading the US national outdoor championship.
Maybe only the two greatest riders of all time, Stefan Everts and Ricky Carmichael can boast of careers that have as consistently been at the top for that long, and that is the sort of company Chad Reed can keep, because he is that good.
Add in three major championships and an Eastern Region Supercross title in his debut season, Reed has the titles to back up his incedible consistency. He is also fourth on the all time supercross win list, and top of the all time podium supercross list. The numbers dont lie, but it is not only the statistics that make Reed one of the best ever it is the way he has done it.
Chad's style and technique on a motorcycle can be matched by maybe only a handful of riders, he can ride at the top level and do it while in complete control, and ooze style while doing it. His riding style is perfect to show a young rider how to ride a bike, but more than that his mental strength, intelligence and self confidence are perhaps equally as invaluable to his success.
Chad Reed just doesn't know when he is beaten. Reed can get smoked by 30 seconds multiple times and come out the next race and believe he is going to win, this has been shown time and time again, even in 2011. This mental fortitude and fight is perhaps the key to his success, as is his intelligence.
Chad Reed is smart, on the bike and off it. He doesn't use too much energy when he rides, he doesn't push himself to the point where he will crash every week trying to win. His "You have to be in it, to win it"attitude has allowed him to compete his entire career without too many injuries, he pushed his rivals to their breaking point, but doesn't push himself to same risk, he allows others to make mistakes and he reads race situations excellently.
2011 has maybe been Reed's most impressive season. Proving people wrong has been one of Chad's greatest motivations, and many wrote off the Australian's chances when he decided at the last minute to put his own team together without factory support and on a brand new motorcycle he had never ridden before.
Yet again Reed proved he was smart, he got the right people in and created the best environment to win, he also had a hand in designing his team graphics and riding gear - team two two is one of the best looking teams in the pits.
Both Jeremy McGrath and Jeff Stanton doubted Reed's ability to win coming into 2011, but Chad proved everyone wrong once more, only four points from the supercross champoinship including two wins, it proved once again just what a shrewd and talented guy Reed is.
His crash at Millville bore testament to just how tough and how much heart Chad Reed has. Every aspect of Reeds qualities were tested, and he pulled through like never before. He wants this outdoor title, and he wants it bad , if he wins the US motocross championship against Villopoto and Dungey, it would go down as his greatest title ever in my opinion.
Chad Reed has come a long way from Australia, he doesn't have home country advantage, he never has, yet he is taking it too his American counterparts year afer year on ambition, talent and self-belief. It should never be underestimated what Reed has had to do and the things he has sacrificed to get where he has, and it makes his achievements all the more remarkable.
Chad Reed was already a legend, but Millville has turned him into an inspiration. Never give up, always believe, that is Chad Reed.
Chad Reed has never been out of the top three (except for injury in 2010) since the start of his professional career in the top tier of the sport. Since 2001, when Chad came second in the 250cc World Championship (still one of his most impressive achievements in my eyes), he has always been in the top three of the US mx or sx series, and indeed 10 years later he finished second in the 2011 Supercross Championship and is currently leading the US national outdoor championship.
Maybe only the two greatest riders of all time, Stefan Everts and Ricky Carmichael can boast of careers that have as consistently been at the top for that long, and that is the sort of company Chad Reed can keep, because he is that good.
Add in three major championships and an Eastern Region Supercross title in his debut season, Reed has the titles to back up his incedible consistency. He is also fourth on the all time supercross win list, and top of the all time podium supercross list. The numbers dont lie, but it is not only the statistics that make Reed one of the best ever it is the way he has done it.
Chad's style and technique on a motorcycle can be matched by maybe only a handful of riders, he can ride at the top level and do it while in complete control, and ooze style while doing it. His riding style is perfect to show a young rider how to ride a bike, but more than that his mental strength, intelligence and self confidence are perhaps equally as invaluable to his success.
Chad Reed just doesn't know when he is beaten. Reed can get smoked by 30 seconds multiple times and come out the next race and believe he is going to win, this has been shown time and time again, even in 2011. This mental fortitude and fight is perhaps the key to his success, as is his intelligence.
Chad Reed is smart, on the bike and off it. He doesn't use too much energy when he rides, he doesn't push himself to the point where he will crash every week trying to win. His "You have to be in it, to win it"attitude has allowed him to compete his entire career without too many injuries, he pushed his rivals to their breaking point, but doesn't push himself to same risk, he allows others to make mistakes and he reads race situations excellently.
2011 has maybe been Reed's most impressive season. Proving people wrong has been one of Chad's greatest motivations, and many wrote off the Australian's chances when he decided at the last minute to put his own team together without factory support and on a brand new motorcycle he had never ridden before.
Yet again Reed proved he was smart, he got the right people in and created the best environment to win, he also had a hand in designing his team graphics and riding gear - team two two is one of the best looking teams in the pits.
Both Jeremy McGrath and Jeff Stanton doubted Reed's ability to win coming into 2011, but Chad proved everyone wrong once more, only four points from the supercross champoinship including two wins, it proved once again just what a shrewd and talented guy Reed is.
His crash at Millville bore testament to just how tough and how much heart Chad Reed has. Every aspect of Reeds qualities were tested, and he pulled through like never before. He wants this outdoor title, and he wants it bad , if he wins the US motocross championship against Villopoto and Dungey, it would go down as his greatest title ever in my opinion.
Chad Reed has come a long way from Australia, he doesn't have home country advantage, he never has, yet he is taking it too his American counterparts year afer year on ambition, talent and self-belief. It should never be underestimated what Reed has had to do and the things he has sacrificed to get where he has, and it makes his achievements all the more remarkable.
Chad Reed was already a legend, but Millville has turned him into an inspiration. Never give up, always believe, that is Chad Reed.
Monday 4 July 2011
Christophe Pourcel - is he ready for GP racing?
Christophe Pourcel is an enigma. Many have tried and many have failed to understand the Frenchman on multiple levels, When it comes to riding a motocross bike, most can't understand how he can go so fast and make it look so as easy, he creates the percetion that he isn't trying...but the best are renowned for making it look easy.
On a personal level he has been described as aloof and arrogant or shy and misunderstand depending on who you talk too. But nothing was as confusing as his decision to join Motoconcepts Yamaha for the US motocross nationals.
As that deal reached it's inevitable problems, and subsequent contract termination, the blame game went between Pourcel having to deal with a sub par team or Pourcel not putting in enough effort on or off the bike. Perhaps the truth is somewhere in between and it is better for both parties to go their seperate ways to achieve their own goals, their own way.
But now Pourcel has no more excuses, he is back on his beloved Kawasaki, he is back with a Mitch Payton backed team, he is back with some of the people that guided him to his world title in 2006, and he is back in the World Championship. This time it is MX1.
But can he win? On a talent level, there is no question.. even on the MC Yamaha he passed Reed and Villopoto. The main question is his comfort level and fitness. He has been riding the 450 Kawasaki since 2006, in fact, CP was still practicing on one during the US nationals after he didn't receive a Yamaha to his Florida home. So his adaption to the bike should be no problem. That just leaves the question of fitness, it is believed Pourcel had arm pump surgery after Freestone, and that, combined with feeling good on the bike, should alleviate some of his problems to complete a race riding a 100%.
Can he get fit enough however to ride two days of GP motocross everyday to challenge Cairoli and co? That remains to be seen, but his speed and talent are there and going by this video CP should be a contender for the MX1 podium in Germany this weekend... but he might be a little shocked at the depth of competition!
My guess is Pourcel wants to get his reputation back and have people talk about his talent and speed. Christophe will want to beat his GP rival Cairoli in the GPs and establish himself as the top French 450 rider by beating Frossard. If he does that he will get picked for the MXDN in his home country of France, and no doubt he motivation will be high to win the race individually and as a team. Pourcel will be motivated to put it to Cairoli, Desalle, Villopoto, Reed and Dungey to prove a lot of the naysayers wrong especially in America, who say he can't cut it on a 450.
Christophe Pourcel is back..and he looks good.
Don't write the mercurial Frenchman off, he has come back from much worse!
On a personal level he has been described as aloof and arrogant or shy and misunderstand depending on who you talk too. But nothing was as confusing as his decision to join Motoconcepts Yamaha for the US motocross nationals.
As that deal reached it's inevitable problems, and subsequent contract termination, the blame game went between Pourcel having to deal with a sub par team or Pourcel not putting in enough effort on or off the bike. Perhaps the truth is somewhere in between and it is better for both parties to go their seperate ways to achieve their own goals, their own way.
But now Pourcel has no more excuses, he is back on his beloved Kawasaki, he is back with a Mitch Payton backed team, he is back with some of the people that guided him to his world title in 2006, and he is back in the World Championship. This time it is MX1.
But can he win? On a talent level, there is no question.. even on the MC Yamaha he passed Reed and Villopoto. The main question is his comfort level and fitness. He has been riding the 450 Kawasaki since 2006, in fact, CP was still practicing on one during the US nationals after he didn't receive a Yamaha to his Florida home. So his adaption to the bike should be no problem. That just leaves the question of fitness, it is believed Pourcel had arm pump surgery after Freestone, and that, combined with feeling good on the bike, should alleviate some of his problems to complete a race riding a 100%.
Can he get fit enough however to ride two days of GP motocross everyday to challenge Cairoli and co? That remains to be seen, but his speed and talent are there and going by this video CP should be a contender for the MX1 podium in Germany this weekend... but he might be a little shocked at the depth of competition!
My guess is Pourcel wants to get his reputation back and have people talk about his talent and speed. Christophe will want to beat his GP rival Cairoli in the GPs and establish himself as the top French 450 rider by beating Frossard. If he does that he will get picked for the MXDN in his home country of France, and no doubt he motivation will be high to win the race individually and as a team. Pourcel will be motivated to put it to Cairoli, Desalle, Villopoto, Reed and Dungey to prove a lot of the naysayers wrong especially in America, who say he can't cut it on a 450.
Christophe Pourcel is back..and he looks good.
Don't write the mercurial Frenchman off, he has come back from much worse!
Friday 27 May 2011
Kevin Windham - Poetry in Motion
While watching the first moto at Hangtown last weekend it occured to me yet again that it doesn't get much better than watching Kevin Windham ride a dirt bike. Silky smooth, with his trademark low elbows and leaning way over the front, Windham makes riding a motocross bike look effortless.
It is one thing to go as fast as anyone in the world on a motocross bike by trying hard, getting out of shape and riding on pure heart. However, it is another thing to beat the best in the world while in total control, with a fluid, technically perfect and yet nonchalent style. It is almost magical to witness and something that very very few guys in the world have the skill to perform. Kevin Windham is one of those guys.
Windham led the first fifteen minutes of race one at Hangtown, despite only riding the bike once prior to the race. Nothing has changed, the pace is still there, his style flawless. You could have been forgiven for thinking you were watching the 1999 Hangtown National, Kevin's first year on big red. The sheer riding talent Kevin has is unbelievable, his transfers during the supercross series are becoming stuff of legend, his performance in Las Vegas stunned even James Stewart, and everyone loves watching him ride including the great Ricky Carmichael. Windham oozes control, class and style on a bike.
Guys like Kevin Windham or Stefan Everts, Christophe Pourcel, Jeremy McGrath, JMB, David Bailey, Steve Ramon and Chad Reed to name a few aren't just motocross riders, they are artists on a motocross bike. Ignore the titles they have or have not won but look at their riding style, and when everything clicks there is no one better, smoother or faster on the track. These are the guys that make you want to ride, they turn motocross from a tough rough mistake strewn sport and make it beautiful. They float over bumps, and flow effortlessly round corners, they glide around the most treachorous track and make the difficult look easy.
For me these riders are worth the admission price alone, in the same way the Barcelona football team currently encapsulate the beatiful game played the perfect way, and Roger Federer has transformed tennis into a sublime artform, these guys encapsulate how everyone should want to ride a motocross bike. It is motocross the right way, the way it should be - motocross in the purest form.
Kevin Windham is a pleasure to watch and for any fan or aspiring rider out there, take some time to closely watch the way he rides a motorcycle, and enjoy the last couple of seasons of one of the smoothest most naturally talented riders the world has ever seen.
It is one thing to go as fast as anyone in the world on a motocross bike by trying hard, getting out of shape and riding on pure heart. However, it is another thing to beat the best in the world while in total control, with a fluid, technically perfect and yet nonchalent style. It is almost magical to witness and something that very very few guys in the world have the skill to perform. Kevin Windham is one of those guys.
Windham led the first fifteen minutes of race one at Hangtown, despite only riding the bike once prior to the race. Nothing has changed, the pace is still there, his style flawless. You could have been forgiven for thinking you were watching the 1999 Hangtown National, Kevin's first year on big red. The sheer riding talent Kevin has is unbelievable, his transfers during the supercross series are becoming stuff of legend, his performance in Las Vegas stunned even James Stewart, and everyone loves watching him ride including the great Ricky Carmichael. Windham oozes control, class and style on a bike.
Guys like Kevin Windham or Stefan Everts, Christophe Pourcel, Jeremy McGrath, JMB, David Bailey, Steve Ramon and Chad Reed to name a few aren't just motocross riders, they are artists on a motocross bike. Ignore the titles they have or have not won but look at their riding style, and when everything clicks there is no one better, smoother or faster on the track. These are the guys that make you want to ride, they turn motocross from a tough rough mistake strewn sport and make it beautiful. They float over bumps, and flow effortlessly round corners, they glide around the most treachorous track and make the difficult look easy.
For me these riders are worth the admission price alone, in the same way the Barcelona football team currently encapsulate the beatiful game played the perfect way, and Roger Federer has transformed tennis into a sublime artform, these guys encapsulate how everyone should want to ride a motocross bike. It is motocross the right way, the way it should be - motocross in the purest form.
Kevin Windham is a pleasure to watch and for any fan or aspiring rider out there, take some time to closely watch the way he rides a motorcycle, and enjoy the last couple of seasons of one of the smoothest most naturally talented riders the world has ever seen.
Monday 23 May 2011
Herlings and Philippaerts take Brazil by storm!
The Brazilian GP brought fantastic racing to thousands of colourful and delirious local fans who fell in love with World Championship motocross racing at the very warm and sunny Indaiatuba circuit.
Phenomenal infrastructure and packed grandstands galore left the teams happy to deal with the huge logistical undertaking that has been the last two weeks of the Grand Prix series. Riders also appreciated the setting and the enthusiasm of the large turn-out of fans, which proved quite a contrast to the almost apathetic nature of the US motocross fans not at the poorly attended US GP just one week prior.
MX2
Jeffrey Herlings took his second GP win of the year and maybe the most important win of his career so far. It is two GP wins each now for Herlings and Roczen and they battle in what appears to be an exclusive KTM fight for the World Title.
Herlings tried to stay with leader Ken Roczen on the hard pack track in race one, but Roczen was just too strong and it looked like no-one would be able touch the German superstar yet again.
In race two just like in Glen Helen Roczen holeshot and put in a blistering couple of laps,(using the techniques he picked up in supercross during his stay in the US to good effect) but Herlings began to claw back the few seconds lead Roczen had opened up. The German started making a couple of mistakes as Herlings got the gap down to two seconds. He continued to put the pressure on and this time Roczen cracked! Down went Ken and he handed Herlings a six second lead, this time it was Roczen’s turn to play catch up and, forced to ride on the edge, Roczen crashed again! Herlings was left with a twenty second lead as Roczen had to fend off the attentions of Gautier Paulin who almost nabbed second from the KTM rider on the last lap.
An impressive Herlings insisted after the race, “I knew it! I knew if I stayed on his back wheel he would make a mistake - he is only human! I didn‘t have the speed of Ken in the first moto, but I always feel stronger in the second moto, we battled until ten minutes to go and Ken had a little crash and that basically gave me the victory.”
Paulin garnered his first podium of the year beating Tommy Searle into fourth and looks ready to challenge for regular podiums now he is fully healthy again.
Searle had great speed all weekend, benefiting from some special engine upgrades courtesy of Mitch Payton. However, after receiving outside assistance after a crash in his qualifying heat while running second, Tommy was disqualified and given last gate pick for the races on Sunday. Forced to come from outside the top ten Searle rode fantastic and nearly caught both Roczen and Paulin in the final moto to equal is fourth place in moto one.
Zach Osborne had two big crashes on Saturday and was still dealing with a painful wrist from the US GP, but it didn’t stop the American from running up front. Osborne held third in the first moto but was forced back into fifth after his wrist made it hard to hold on. It was a similar story in race two but Osborne still showed good speed on his way to fifth place.
Max Anstie was sixth overall with a 6-7 scorecard, and although insisting he wasn’t feeling well, the always smiling and friendly Brit needs to acknowledge he is still trying to find the speed to challenge for race wins and even podiums on a consistent basis over the course of a GP weekend on the varying styles of tracks.
MX2 overall: 1. Herlings 47pts, 2. Roczen 47pts, 3. Paulin 40pts, 4. Searle 36pts, 5. Osborne 32pts, 6. Anstie 29pts, 7. Charlier 27pts, 8. Tonus 27pts, 9. Roelants 23pts, 10. Kullas 22pts
MX1
MX1 delivered the best racing of the year so far. A three way battle in race one was initially led by Cairoli only for Frossard to take the lead, Philippaerts hovered right behind in third as Cairoli retook first position. Then, with a few minutes to go Desalle came from nowhere and passed both the Yamaha riders on one lap, then just as quickly he crashed and remounted back in fourth. Philippaerts regrouped from all the frantic action around him to try and get Cairoli but Tony held on to take his second moto win of the season.
Race two was more of the same, Cairoli holeshot again but Desalle moved his way to the front with Philippaerts second. Desalle tipped over yet again and dropped back to fifth. Ramon moved up to third and challenged Cairoli, but with three laps to go Cairoli dropped the hammer and put in the fastest lap of the race to get on Philippaerts back wheel on the last lap. But the 2008 World Champ responded and put down the fastest lap of the race on the last lap to keep Cairoli at bay and take the moto and the overall win!
An ecstatic Philippaerts was pleased to rebound after a poor US GP, “ I am very happy, the track was good, there where different types of corners and not every rider was fast in the same line. I had good lap times, but Tony was coming so I just focused on my lines and pushed to the last lap.”
Steve Ramon showed his best form of the year, to take third in race two and that gave him fifth overall as he continues his comeback from illness.
Former Championship leader Stephen Frossard was fourth after nursing an injured thumb in race two, while Desalle’s crash happy weekend still netted the Belgian Suzuki rider third on the podium and maintained his championship lead, but the rest are closing in!
Second in the championship Max Nagl had a poor weekend by his standards due to and ongoing back problem compounded by bad starts. A sixth place overall kept Nagl in the hunt and he will hopefully be fully fit for the next round in France where there are now five genuine contenders for the World title.
The Honda sponsored Brazilian GP was not Honda’s best showing with both Evgeny Bobreyshev and Goncalves suffering crashes during the day. Bobreyshv took best Honda with tenth overall and remains sixth in points but lost ground to the title contenders. Ken De Dycker showed the speed everyone knows he has in Brazil and got Honda’s best individual results with fifth place in race one.
MX1 Overall:
1. Philippaerts 47pts, 2. Cairoli 47pts, 3. Desalle 36pts, 4. Frossard 36pts, 5. Ramon 36pts, 6. Nagl 31pts, 7. De Dycker 26pts, 8. Boog 25pts, 9. Strijbos 24pts, 10. Bobryshev 23pts.
Phenomenal infrastructure and packed grandstands galore left the teams happy to deal with the huge logistical undertaking that has been the last two weeks of the Grand Prix series. Riders also appreciated the setting and the enthusiasm of the large turn-out of fans, which proved quite a contrast to the almost apathetic nature of the US motocross fans not at the poorly attended US GP just one week prior.
MX2
Jeffrey Herlings took his second GP win of the year and maybe the most important win of his career so far. It is two GP wins each now for Herlings and Roczen and they battle in what appears to be an exclusive KTM fight for the World Title.
Herlings tried to stay with leader Ken Roczen on the hard pack track in race one, but Roczen was just too strong and it looked like no-one would be able touch the German superstar yet again.
In race two just like in Glen Helen Roczen holeshot and put in a blistering couple of laps,(using the techniques he picked up in supercross during his stay in the US to good effect) but Herlings began to claw back the few seconds lead Roczen had opened up. The German started making a couple of mistakes as Herlings got the gap down to two seconds. He continued to put the pressure on and this time Roczen cracked! Down went Ken and he handed Herlings a six second lead, this time it was Roczen’s turn to play catch up and, forced to ride on the edge, Roczen crashed again! Herlings was left with a twenty second lead as Roczen had to fend off the attentions of Gautier Paulin who almost nabbed second from the KTM rider on the last lap.
An impressive Herlings insisted after the race, “I knew it! I knew if I stayed on his back wheel he would make a mistake - he is only human! I didn‘t have the speed of Ken in the first moto, but I always feel stronger in the second moto, we battled until ten minutes to go and Ken had a little crash and that basically gave me the victory.”
Paulin garnered his first podium of the year beating Tommy Searle into fourth and looks ready to challenge for regular podiums now he is fully healthy again.
Searle had great speed all weekend, benefiting from some special engine upgrades courtesy of Mitch Payton. However, after receiving outside assistance after a crash in his qualifying heat while running second, Tommy was disqualified and given last gate pick for the races on Sunday. Forced to come from outside the top ten Searle rode fantastic and nearly caught both Roczen and Paulin in the final moto to equal is fourth place in moto one.
Zach Osborne had two big crashes on Saturday and was still dealing with a painful wrist from the US GP, but it didn’t stop the American from running up front. Osborne held third in the first moto but was forced back into fifth after his wrist made it hard to hold on. It was a similar story in race two but Osborne still showed good speed on his way to fifth place.
Max Anstie was sixth overall with a 6-7 scorecard, and although insisting he wasn’t feeling well, the always smiling and friendly Brit needs to acknowledge he is still trying to find the speed to challenge for race wins and even podiums on a consistent basis over the course of a GP weekend on the varying styles of tracks.
MX2 overall: 1. Herlings 47pts, 2. Roczen 47pts, 3. Paulin 40pts, 4. Searle 36pts, 5. Osborne 32pts, 6. Anstie 29pts, 7. Charlier 27pts, 8. Tonus 27pts, 9. Roelants 23pts, 10. Kullas 22pts
MX1
MX1 delivered the best racing of the year so far. A three way battle in race one was initially led by Cairoli only for Frossard to take the lead, Philippaerts hovered right behind in third as Cairoli retook first position. Then, with a few minutes to go Desalle came from nowhere and passed both the Yamaha riders on one lap, then just as quickly he crashed and remounted back in fourth. Philippaerts regrouped from all the frantic action around him to try and get Cairoli but Tony held on to take his second moto win of the season.
Race two was more of the same, Cairoli holeshot again but Desalle moved his way to the front with Philippaerts second. Desalle tipped over yet again and dropped back to fifth. Ramon moved up to third and challenged Cairoli, but with three laps to go Cairoli dropped the hammer and put in the fastest lap of the race to get on Philippaerts back wheel on the last lap. But the 2008 World Champ responded and put down the fastest lap of the race on the last lap to keep Cairoli at bay and take the moto and the overall win!
An ecstatic Philippaerts was pleased to rebound after a poor US GP, “ I am very happy, the track was good, there where different types of corners and not every rider was fast in the same line. I had good lap times, but Tony was coming so I just focused on my lines and pushed to the last lap.”
Steve Ramon showed his best form of the year, to take third in race two and that gave him fifth overall as he continues his comeback from illness.
Former Championship leader Stephen Frossard was fourth after nursing an injured thumb in race two, while Desalle’s crash happy weekend still netted the Belgian Suzuki rider third on the podium and maintained his championship lead, but the rest are closing in!
Second in the championship Max Nagl had a poor weekend by his standards due to and ongoing back problem compounded by bad starts. A sixth place overall kept Nagl in the hunt and he will hopefully be fully fit for the next round in France where there are now five genuine contenders for the World title.
The Honda sponsored Brazilian GP was not Honda’s best showing with both Evgeny Bobreyshev and Goncalves suffering crashes during the day. Bobreyshv took best Honda with tenth overall and remains sixth in points but lost ground to the title contenders. Ken De Dycker showed the speed everyone knows he has in Brazil and got Honda’s best individual results with fifth place in race one.
MX1 Overall:
1. Philippaerts 47pts, 2. Cairoli 47pts, 3. Desalle 36pts, 4. Frossard 36pts, 5. Ramon 36pts, 6. Nagl 31pts, 7. De Dycker 26pts, 8. Boog 25pts, 9. Strijbos 24pts, 10. Bobryshev 23pts.
Thursday 19 May 2011
US Nationals preview - 450 class
 |
| The bar banging action from Reed, Alessi and Dungey and more is set to continue in 2011 Pic. Paul McCready |
It is hard to know just who the favourite is for the 2011 450 National Championship. Ryan Dungey is the defending champion, Ryan Villopoto just won the Supercross championship, Chad Reed didn’t really get the chance to defend his 2009 outdoor title and moving up is Christophe Pourcel who arguably could have and should have won the last two 250 national titles.
Let’s start with Dungey. The defending champion did not enjoy losing his supercross crown and you can bet the very competitive but quiet Minnesota born Suzuki rider will have revenge on his mind. Dungey is fit, he is fast and he is consistent and smooth, all the ingredients are there but he needs to find good starts again and this year he needs to beat Ryan Villopoto.
Ryan Villopoto has the momentum coming into the outdoor series, and despite Dungey being the defending champion, Villopoto is many people’s favourite to win. Villopoto has just come off his biggest ever championship by winning the most competitive supercross series maybe ever. RV is full of confidence and thanks to Aldon Baker full of fitness. This should scare all his competition, because RV already has three 250 national outdoor titles and dominated in the only 450 outdoor race he has ridden - the opening race at Glen Helen in 2009. Now with Aldon Baker in his corner he is going to be even faster for longer and even more confident. That is a scary thought for any of his competition.
One guy who will not be the slightest bit worried is Chad Reed. Reed is very self confident and mentally strong… and he has the credentials to justify ever inch of his self belief. The Aussie came within four points of winning the 2011 Supercross title on his own team as essentially a privateer. Now with more help from Honda and fully healthy again after last season’s health issues, Reed will no doubt believe that his championship experience and smarts will have him in the hunt coming down to the final round. Count Chad Reed out at your peril, and don’t forget he won Hangtown last year despite all his problems, there is no reason a healthy Reed can’t do it again.
Many people are not counting Christophe Pourcel as a championship threat, but I am counting him as the fourth alien. Just because Pourcel did not race supercross does not mean he has lost the talent that gave him the World MX2 title in 2006, 2x Regional SX championships and the fastest rider in the 250 nationals the last two years. The super smooth and deceptively fast Frenchman won more motos than Dungey in 2009 and more than Canard in 2010 and engine failure and a broken arm are what kept the former World Champ from winning those titles despite still feelings the physical effects of the crash that left him temporarily paralysed in 2007.
 |
| Christophe Pourcel is moving up the 450s and should not be counted out. Pic. Paul McCready |
Now Pourcel claims the time off from supercross has allowed him to get his health issues fixed, so maybe the US fans will see a fully healthy Pourcel for the first time in his American career. Pourcel is very smart and has a beautiful style, he knows how to win and will be there every weekend. He has raced a 450 before and been very fast, the bike should suit his style even more than the 250. The biggest question mark is not Christophe Pourcel but whether the Motoconcepts team can give Pourcel the support and bike he needs to challenge for the title.
Mike Alessi as usual is going against logical thought. He went with the brand new 350 KTM last year when no-one was on it, but lost his confidence and has switched to the 450 KTM for 2011 again a bike no-one else is racing. But is that really the smartest choice? At time when every other factory rider in the KTM team both in the Gps and America have gone 350 because they believe it is the better bike especially with a years development under it‘s belt, Alessi is now riding a bike that has had no development this year and has no-one of his calibre riding it either, leaving Alessi no comparisons or testing back up. There is no doubt he rides the 450 very very well, but maybe his choice to be the lone 450 wolf in the KTM pack could hurt him. Still Alessi is fast and will give it everything he has, if he gets the starts he can never be counted out for the title and he may renew the Villopoto rivalry from the amateur days this season.
It seem unfair to both Brett Mettcalfe and Andrew Short that they havn’t already been mentioned since they finished second and third in the series last season. Both these guys are consistent, they world hard and get good starts, but that extra piece of magic is missing that they need to be a potential race winner every weekend. Both have yet to prove they can deal with the championship pressure when it really counts. But that isn’t to say this year won’t be the year and both of these deserving riders could potentially break out and deservingly win their first major championship.
Other riders who will be in the mix include Jake Weimer, Christian Craig, Justin Brayton, Davi Millsaps, Tommy Hahn and Kyle Chisholm. It is hard to see these guys as title contenders but on their day they could ruffle some feathers.
There are a few wild card riders who will not challenge for a title due to various circumstance but could challenge for wins at any stage. Trey Canard was in contention for the Supercross title in his rookie year and the 2010 250 outdoor champ would have been a certain title contender in the 450 outdoors but a broken leg has put an end to that dream for this year. Trey however is very determined and he will be battling hard to get some wins when he comes back halfway through the season.
Honda team-mate Josh Grant is another out with injury but again, like Trey, he has speed to burn and can be a threat to win a moto anytime, anywhere.
James Stewart is perhaps the biggest wild card of all - in every sense of the word. The stupidly fast but scarily fragile Floridian refused to compete in the US GP only to announce one week later that he wasn’t ready to race the first round at Hangtown. Surely racing two days at the US GP would have helped James get ready for Hangtown? Unless of course the problems are less bike based and more team based. It seems James is so afraid to lose after his crash happy supercross series that he doesn’t want to race unless in his mind he believes he is going to win.
Stewart has vowed to be a new rider upon his return..but no-one knows when that return will be yet. The problem is that outdoor specialist and teammate Kyle Regal is suffering because he is not able to race his favourite series until James decides James is ready. When these two come back the fans will be the real winners and both will give even more excitement to an already super competitive championship.
So sit back and enjoy what will be a fantastic 450 US National Championship while you can because, before long, you will be on the edge of your seat!
2011 US Nationals - 250 Class Preview
 |
| 2010 Hangtown winner Eli Tomac has everything he needs to win the 2011 US Nationals Pic. Paul McCready |
With last year’s championship winner Trey Canard and runner -up Christophe Pourcel moving to the 450 class for 2011, the 250 US National championship has been blown wide open with many contenders believing this is their year to win the championship.
The logical favourite based on last year’s third place would be Pro Circuit rider Tyla Rattray. The 2008 South African MX2 World Champion has taken his time getting used to the USA’s intense racing style however when the track is rough Rattray will is hard to beat. But in his third year in a class he is too old to race in the World Championship, Tyla will need to deliver in 2011 if he wants a decent ride in 2012 given his age and lack of supercross experience.
Putting extra pressure on Rattray to achieve will be the rider who took over his crown of World Champion in MX2. Marvin Musquin is the two time MX2 World Champion and it will be interesting to see how their pace has evolved by racing in two different series. Rattray will not want Musquin to come in and beat him in his first year in the US, but it could well happen and will be an interesting subplot during the championship.
Musquin is coming off a knee injury but had a pretty impressive return to racing last week at the US GP. However, it may take the Frenchman a couple of rounds to get back to his 2010 pace. He will also have to adapt to the one day format in the US that involves short practice sessions, shorter intense races combined with new tracks and oppressive heat. But the KTM mounted Musquin is a very special rider and with Roger DeCoster in his corner helping him adapt he should be in hunt for the title by the season end.
Dean Wilson signed off in the best way possible last year by going 1-1 in the final round of the series at Pala Raceway. Bad starts hampered his progress in the supercross series and with the field so deep Wilson will need to gate well in the Nationals to put his undoubted speed to good use. The Scottish born rider has all the tools and now the experience to go for the title.
Justin Barcia is entering his third year of national outdoor competition in America, and is coming in with more momentum than ever after winning the East Coast super cross title. Barcia still needs to prove he can be consistent over 24 motos however to be a serious title contender. Maybe the most exciting and definitely the most aggressive rider to watch, Justin is hard to beat on his day and if he can minimise his mistakes he should be a factor every weekend.
But maybe the real favourite is his Geico Honda teamate Eli Tomac. The Colorado native narrowly lost the West Coast supercross title in his first year and this potentially could leave him down and less motivated coming into the outdoors, or it could make him even more motivated to win. My guess is it will be the latter. Tomac is a clear thinker on the track and doesn’t get to up or down depending on his results, he has a great people around him and like Wilson has everything he needs to take the title, it is just a matter of executing now.
Mitch Payton’s two other riders Blake Baggett and Broc Tickle could be dark horses for the title. Tickle is always strong and consistent outdoors although has never been a title contender, but now with the confidence of his West coast supecross title and being on the best team in the class, Tickle has no more excuses not to challenge for the series or at least get some wins under his belt.
Baggett is in a similar position, he was very fast last year until injury thwarted his season and now in a better team, it is up to Baggett to go out there and perform like he can. If he does he will be a contender for race wins.
Other riders who will feature among the front runners at times will be Wil Hahn, Ryan Sipes, Cole Seeley, Travis Baker and Gareth Swanepole, but these guys will need to establish themselves week in week out against the main contenders to be really taken seriously and that is the aspect that they have not been able to show yet.
Jason Anderson and Malcom Stewart are rookies on the national tour and they have a lot of raw speed, but will their fitness and consistency throughout the year be where it needs to be to get among the front runners.
Only one thing is for certain, with so many potential champions and even more potential race winners, the 2011 series will not lack in excitement!
Saturday 14 May 2011
US GP preview
MX2
Ken Roczen leads the World Championship but there are only ten points between the top three in the championship. Jeffrey Herlings moved into second place in the series after a decimating the opposition at his home GP in Holland. Roczen was left reeling at Herlings’ speed after the race, after admitting before hand he wanted to beat Herlings there, Roczen has stated since he wants to dominate at the US GP, and with the rivalry in the KTM team threatening to ruin their previous friendship, there could be fireworks between the teenage wonderkids. Ken loves America and loves the GP series so a US GP is probably the perfect mixture of both cultures for him to put on a show, but Herlings will want to prove he can beat Roczen outside of the sand tracks too.
 |
| Herlings will be looking for a better showing in American than he had in 2010 Pic : Paul McCready |
It shouldn’t be a two horse race however with Tommy Searle only ten points back in third in the series. Searle has experience of racing at Glen Helen in the AMA series, and after two solid podium performances at the opening two rounds Tommy needs to show he can win against the KTM duo and there is not a more perfect place for the CLS/Pro Circuit Kawaski rider than Glen Helen to do that.
 |
| Can Musquin repeat his GP win of 2010? Pic: Paul McCready |
Making a one off return to GP competition is 2009 and 2010 MX2 World Champ Marvin Musquin. Musquin is returning after a knee injury and this will be his first race back as he prepares to race the AMA series. After his total domination of last years event Musquin will be motivated to show he has lost none of his speed and will want to show the GP and AMA riders that he is still the best. The prospect of a Musquin, Herlings, Roczen rematch - three of fastest MX2 riders in the world, is truly a mouth watering prospect.
 |
| Zach Osborne wants to win his home GP Pic: Paul McCready |
Representing America’s best chance of a win is Zach Osborne. Fourth in last year’s GP series Zach is giving the USA their best GP results in ten years. He has been steady so far in 2011 but he needs to start getting some wins or at least on the podium if he wants to remain in contention for the World title. It is the biggest race of the year for Zach, he will no doubt be kitted out in red white and blue and hoping to have the USA national anthem being played at his home GP as he stands at the top step of the podium. One thing is for sure Zach will give it everything he has to win this weekend.
Zach Osborne’s team mate Arnaud Tonus nearly got on the podium in Holland and will be hoping to achieve that goal in the USA. The Swiss teenager is stylish and smooth and has been the most improved rider in 2011 so far.
Rinadli Yamaha title hope Gautier Paulin has not quite shown the speed everyone knows he is capable of so far this season. Paulin has all the technical skills to run at the front but he needs the starts in order to give himself a decent chance, the huge jumps at Glen Helen should suit the former BMX world Champion’s style.
Max Anstie is arguably having his first home GP of the year, living in the USA for the last few years and riding regularly at Glen Helen should give Max the best opportunity to break the top five. A podium is not out of reach for the fast but fragile Brit who is still trying to put it all together over a GP weekend, but when he does he will be a contender.
Also look out for riders such as Nicholas Aubin, Christopher Charlier, Joel Roelants, Harri Kullas, Jordi Tixier and Nikolaj Larson all capable of mixing it in the top ten, as is US wild card Travis Baker who flies at Glen Helen.
With motivation at 100% for a lot of different riders with something to prove the MX2 class promises to be a classic race at a stupendous speed, especially if they all get out of the start at the front.
MX1
World Championship leader Steven Frossard has been the revelation of the 2011. The Rinaldi Yamaha rider showed he is for real with his speed in the sand in Holland and took third in the MX2 class at Glen Helen last year, so he should be looking forward to challenging for the podium and wins in the MX1 class.
Last years winner was the 2010 World Champ Antonio Cairoli, Cairoli is suffering from a knee injury but he was still able to win the last round in Holland to haul himself up to fourth in the standings and into title contention. Cairoli will be disappointed at the lack of US entries but will remain focussed on taking another US GP win. The Italian legend is hoping to equal Roger DeCoster’s haul of 5 World titles in 2011.
 |
| Cairoli won the US GP in 2010 Pic:Paul McCready |
Clemant Desalle won round one of the World Championship in Bulgaria but struggled to make the top five in Holland, so it will be interesting to see if the determined Belgian can re-align himself at the front of the field in America. Still third in the series and right in the championship hunt, Desalle rode well at the venue last year, beating Cairoli in race two so he should be eyeing a USGP win.
2008 World Champ David Philippaerts got his first podium of the year at Valkensward and the tough Italian will want to repeat feat at Glen Helen despite having a terrible round there last year after a huge crash down one of the famous Glen Helen hills.
Other riders to look out for include Russian Evgeny Bobreyshev on the Honda. The young rider has scintillating speed at times and could be a player this weekend. Teammate Rui Goncalves has surprised many this year too and will be a solid performer. Two time World Champion Steve Ramon has had a slow start to the series but the factory Suzuki rider has his blood disorder sorted and will be looking to get back in the mix, however Ramon may find the Glen Helen track a bit to fast for his smooth and technical style. Another rider to keep an eye on is Jonathan Barragan, Barragan is strong and fit and a podium in Bulgaria showed he is getting back to the form of a few years ago.
 |
| The famous Talledaga first turn Pic: Paul McCready |
Dark horses for a top five run include TM’s Tanel Leok as well as Ken De Dycker, Kevin Strijbos, Davide Guaneri, Greg Aranda and Xavier Boog as well as Shaun Simpson who rode well in America in the MX2 class last year.
Add in wild card rider Christian Craig and the class is stacked with talent. Craig, who has shown the speed for top ten placings in AMA competition, will no doubt be hoping for something similar or better at the US GP. Mike Alessi was due to race but is rumoured to be out with injury after his get off at the Vegas supercross, but with $100,000 on the line for a US winner, maybe some US riders will creep out from under the woodwork and take on the GP stars.
With 14 GP winners on the line MX1 is always a frenetic race the whole way down the field. The depth is incredible and without a good start it will be hard for any of the top riders to pull through, but it always makes for some sensational racing in the premier class of GP competition.
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Supercross is over.. but what a series and what a champion!
Ryan Villopoto is the rightful champion of the AMA/World Supercross series. The red headed Washington native had the ultimate combination of speed, intelligence and performance under pressure of all the title contenders.
Just like the GOAT Ricky Carmichael, RV did what he had to do when he had to do it. And just like Carmichael, after two years of frustration in the Supercross class, Villopoto hired Aldon Baker to take his program to the next level. It is hard to understand just what Baker does in comparison to other trainers… but clearly his formula works even if maybe part of that is the rider believing he has the best trainer on board.
Which begs the question, why did James Stewart let Aldon Baker go? Even if it didn’t affect his own fitness, letting Baker leave and help one of his biggest rivals proved extremely costly. Stewart effectively gave Villopoto the missing piece of his puzzle.
Villopoto’s ride in Salt Lake City was epic and was the clutch performance that won him the championship… all four contenders had their chance at that race, but it was RV that rose to the occasion the most, and the race in many ways summed the whole championship up.
James Stewart had the speed, was in the lead but wasn’t pulling away from his title rivals and crashed out by pushing to hard…Chad Reed was there the whole time but came up just short, and Ryan Dungey started behind the contenders and couldn’t catch up in time. RV started in the mix, made his move and held on strong making the least mistakes.
Vegas again bore testament to the excitement of the series, yet again James Stewart crashed out impressively, this time taking the fan’s hero Kevin Windham with him. Windham was on fire copying Stewart’s quad jump and putting the pressure back on Stewart for the lead, then a flustered Stewart crashed in the whoops leaving Kevin nowhere to go. Windham has as much talent as Stewart, and at 32 he can still hang with the best when he puts his mind to it. Hopefully this performance will give Kevin the self belief that he has maybe been missing to make a run at the title before he retires…his silky smooth and effortless riding style deserves another couple of years at the front for the fans to marvel at.
Chad Reed won the race after a battle with Ryan Dungey who yet again started the worst of the main contenders. Reed impressive all year in running his own team, was left rueing Stewart taking him out earlier in the season and Dungey was left rueing a mechanical DNF at an early round… with the points from either incident they would have been the champions. But this is supercross and these are the things that happen. In the end it was Villopoto who put himself in the best positions and made the best choices throughout the year that allowed him to cruise home to third in Vegas to take the most glamorous dirt bike title in the world by four points over Reed.
The most impressive aspect of Ryan’s title winning season was his mental strength. The last two years Villopoto has not raced all 17 rounds of the series, that was his first challenge. His second was coming back from a serious leg injury, Villopoto had not raced since April 2010 when he came into the opener in Januray, but it didn’t affect him one bit and he took a resounding win. For practically the whole season he was leading the points and despite not even qualifying at one round Ryan stayed strong in spite the craziness of the season and huge pressure on his shoulders.
Maybe that is Ryan’s best weapon in his arsenal - his speed is phenomenal, his riding style a unique mix of controlling the bike with his legs, twisting the throttle hard and steering with the rear, but to me the most important aspect is he does not crumble under pressure. Ryan Villopoto doesn’t want to be a rockstar, he doesn’t really want the fame, he just wants to win. He rises to the occasion and has done it time and time again. That is the true indication of a champion, and something Villopoto did that more than anyone in 2011.
You could say it was third time lucky for Villopoto.. except it wasn’t luck, it was brilliance.
Now, does anyone really fancy taking on a fitter, more confident Villopoto in his preferred series, the US Nationals!? ….
Just like the GOAT Ricky Carmichael, RV did what he had to do when he had to do it. And just like Carmichael, after two years of frustration in the Supercross class, Villopoto hired Aldon Baker to take his program to the next level. It is hard to understand just what Baker does in comparison to other trainers… but clearly his formula works even if maybe part of that is the rider believing he has the best trainer on board.
Which begs the question, why did James Stewart let Aldon Baker go? Even if it didn’t affect his own fitness, letting Baker leave and help one of his biggest rivals proved extremely costly. Stewart effectively gave Villopoto the missing piece of his puzzle.
Villopoto’s ride in Salt Lake City was epic and was the clutch performance that won him the championship… all four contenders had their chance at that race, but it was RV that rose to the occasion the most, and the race in many ways summed the whole championship up.
James Stewart had the speed, was in the lead but wasn’t pulling away from his title rivals and crashed out by pushing to hard…Chad Reed was there the whole time but came up just short, and Ryan Dungey started behind the contenders and couldn’t catch up in time. RV started in the mix, made his move and held on strong making the least mistakes.
Vegas again bore testament to the excitement of the series, yet again James Stewart crashed out impressively, this time taking the fan’s hero Kevin Windham with him. Windham was on fire copying Stewart’s quad jump and putting the pressure back on Stewart for the lead, then a flustered Stewart crashed in the whoops leaving Kevin nowhere to go. Windham has as much talent as Stewart, and at 32 he can still hang with the best when he puts his mind to it. Hopefully this performance will give Kevin the self belief that he has maybe been missing to make a run at the title before he retires…his silky smooth and effortless riding style deserves another couple of years at the front for the fans to marvel at.
Chad Reed won the race after a battle with Ryan Dungey who yet again started the worst of the main contenders. Reed impressive all year in running his own team, was left rueing Stewart taking him out earlier in the season and Dungey was left rueing a mechanical DNF at an early round… with the points from either incident they would have been the champions. But this is supercross and these are the things that happen. In the end it was Villopoto who put himself in the best positions and made the best choices throughout the year that allowed him to cruise home to third in Vegas to take the most glamorous dirt bike title in the world by four points over Reed.
The most impressive aspect of Ryan’s title winning season was his mental strength. The last two years Villopoto has not raced all 17 rounds of the series, that was his first challenge. His second was coming back from a serious leg injury, Villopoto had not raced since April 2010 when he came into the opener in Januray, but it didn’t affect him one bit and he took a resounding win. For practically the whole season he was leading the points and despite not even qualifying at one round Ryan stayed strong in spite the craziness of the season and huge pressure on his shoulders.
Maybe that is Ryan’s best weapon in his arsenal - his speed is phenomenal, his riding style a unique mix of controlling the bike with his legs, twisting the throttle hard and steering with the rear, but to me the most important aspect is he does not crumble under pressure. Ryan Villopoto doesn’t want to be a rockstar, he doesn’t really want the fame, he just wants to win. He rises to the occasion and has done it time and time again. That is the true indication of a champion, and something Villopoto did that more than anyone in 2011.
You could say it was third time lucky for Villopoto.. except it wasn’t luck, it was brilliance.
Now, does anyone really fancy taking on a fitter, more confident Villopoto in his preferred series, the US Nationals!? ….
Why do American riders not want to race their home GP ?
Why do the US teams and riders not want to race in what could be the biggest race of the year? Why do the US and World wide fans get robbed of the seeing the top Americans against all the top GP riders. The US riders have turned their noses up at the race for no apparent reason... but why would they not want to win their home round of the world championship? Kevin Windham cites as his most prestigious trophy. As a fan I can’t think of anything better than winning your home GP.
 |
| Clemant Desalle raced World Champions and National championship races Photo :Youthstream |
First lets deal with the excuses…“not enough time to prepare“, “too many races already“, “we have nothing to gain.”
Not having enough time to prepare and having nothing to gain both equate to the same thing - They are afraid of losing. Is being afraid to lose really a genuine excuse for not racing your home GP and representing your country? What happened to the thrill of winning your home GP against all the top GP riders. (something the MXDN does not provide.)
Too many races… yes that holds some water if you want it to, especially the guys in the 450 class. But there were more factory riders entering the X games ( a supercross race in the middle of outdoors) than are racing the US GP… so it is not really a valid excuse either. Add in the fact the US teams test at Glen Helen all the time in preparation for the US nationals, so they already know the track and arguably have an advantage.
Also the GP riders spend 30 days a season racing GP Motocross (Saturday and Sunday racing at a GP) as well as ten days racing National Championship and International racing ( eg 8 round British Championship an International and a MXDN race) That is 40 days a year spent racing outdoor motocross. In America in the 450 class you spend 29 days racing and 17 of those shorter super cross races. So while the season may be longer in the AMA, the riders actually spent less time on the track racing than the GP riders.
Surely the US GP will allow the riders to prepare better for the upcoming US national series by getting the suspension settings finalised for the US outdoor series in race conditions and on a race track over a two day period.. What could be better that preparing for outdoor motocross than racing outdoor motocross…. As Ken Roczen said “racing is the best practice”
 |
| Ken Roczen raced and won in both Supercross and GP Motocross this year Photo :Youthstream |
The GP riders race before the GP season and race National championships racing during the GP season, going even further than that is Ken Roczen who has been flying back and forth the atlantic racing super cross and motocross simultaneously - and doing it very successfully.
So, if the GP riders can race the GP series and their national championships at the same time, and full time national championship competitors can race their national series and turn out just for their home GP in other countries, why can the Americans not do the same? Are they too good to do that? Do they disrespect the GP series so much that they don’t see it as an honour to represent their country, or are they really just scared of getting beaten because they know the GP riders are just as fast ?! Where is the famous American pride these days?
David Bailey is on the money and the riders of today ( and the teams) should have the same attitude and national pride as one of the greatest American riders of all time.
Maybe I have it wrong and I am just annoyed that we wont get to see all the top Americans and the top GP riders on the same gate... but again.. why would the US riders not want to race all the GP riders in America?!
Every fan both American and World wide should be pushing for the top US team to show up and do this race...and so should the riders, it should be the most prestigious motocross race for the US riders to win, beating all your American rivals and the GP riders at the US GP... it wouldn't get any better than that!
 |
| Who wouldn't want to see Tomac, Tickle, Barcia and co.versus these guys? Photo: Youthstream |
Maybe the US riders need an education on the quality, prestige and value of the World Motocross championship... the US nationals are not the be all and end all of motocross racing, there is a big motocross world outside the US, and for one day only, we could have combined them both...
Friday 8 April 2011
MX2 GP Preview
MX2
It seems to many that the MX2 division is a clear cut - Ken Roczen will dominate en route to his first world title. The 2010 runner up is the favourite based on his speed at the end of last season where he ended as the fastest rider in the world. The mecurial 16 year old talent has switched to the Red Bull Factory powerhouse KTM team and has Stefan Everts now in his corner. With early AMA supercross racing as added experience, it seems that Roczen should win the title.
However GP titles are not won on paper, and with the form fellow teenage sensation Jeffrey Herlings has been showing in the pre-season races, the flying Dutchman could well be the equal of Roczen this year. With his first full season behind him, the fastest sand rider in the world just needs to equal Ken’s speed on the hard tracks and match his consistency to potentially claim the title. There are some experts within the GP paddock that believe Herlings is even better than Roczen, with both riders on the same team this season, we are about to find out the answer.
The other main championship contenders are CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle and Rinaldi Yamaha’s Gautier Paulin. Paulin was on the pace last season until he broke his leg one week before the GPs started. He came back mid season and won the GP of Lierop at the end of the year. With a full winters preparation Paulin will be very fast, and barring more injurys should be challenging for podiums and wins all year. The tall Frenchmen is always cool, calm and collected, and this could well be his last year in MX2 before his highly anticipated move to MX1 so his motivation will be very high.
Tommy Searle returns from an injury hit time in the USA where he never really showed the speed and potential that took him to two consecutive runner up positions in the GPs in 2007 and 2008. Tommy is back with his trainer Kirk Gibbons, has a good professional team around him again and is living at home in England. That combination seems to already be agreeing with Searle, who has been in stunning form in the pre-season. Tommy is still only 21 but he has been at the front of the GPs since he was 16, he has the experience, the talent and the desire to be Britain’s first World Champion since mentor Jamie Dobb won exactly ten years ago. The MX2 class has changed a lot since Tommy went to the USA in 2009, Tommy used to be the young pretender, now he will be battling the young pretenders for the title!
Zach Osborne will be considering himself as a title contender in 2011. The Virginian native has been the most successful American rider in GPs since Mike Brown ten years ago. He had the best season of his career last season, finishing fourth in the World and being crowned British Champion. Osborne will hope to continue that momentum this year and has lost alot of weight in the off season to compete with his rivals. His Wild Wolf Cosworth Yamaha is a fire breathing animal that has been designed around Zach’s high revving riding style. The American has the machine and the experience, if he can improve his sand riding and up his raw speed just a little to match Herlings and Roczen, he shouldn’t be far away from being a title contender.
New team-mate to Osborne is Arnaud Tonus, and he could be the dark horse for 2011. Smooth as silk with a very natural riding ability, the Swiss teenager has adapted very quickly to the Yamaha, winning British Championship races over Osborne already this season. Tonus was team-mates with Roczen last year on the factory Suzuki, all that knowledge brought him his first GP podium at the end of the year and this season he will be expecting more of the same and maybe even some GP wins. Tonus should not be underestimated in 2011.
Jeremy Van Horebeck is the third member of the factory KTM team and while very talented and smooth, Van Horebeck seems to lack the self-belief to challenge for the title this year, but under the guidance of Stefan Everts expect Van Horebeck to make big improvement throughout the season.
Max Anstie is a bit of an unknown quantity in the GP paddock. Having spent his formative teenage years in the USA, Max now 18, is back in Europe with the CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. He is on the best team of his short career, and has shown some blistering speed in the USA but also had some big crashes. Whether going to the USA has really helped Max fully develop his potential outdoors is questionable as his schoolboy rivals (Roczen and Herlings) seem to have went to a higher level by staying in Europe and racing the GPs. Anstie will believe he has the speed to run with his former rivals, and there is no doubting his talent, but GP racing is very different to what he is used to in America and Max also has to remain healthy for the full season. If he can adapt quickly and remain healthy, Max could come into his own in 2011 and maybe even win a GP.
Other riders who will add to the excitement at the front are the Yamaha duo of Harri Kullas and former European Champ Christophe Charlier. Kullas was a solid top ten guy last season and will be hoping for more in 2011. Charlier was disappointing in 2010, after beating both Herlings and Rozen in the Europeans in 2009, but he had some injuries so hopefully the Frenchman can remain injury free in 2011 and show his potential.
Staying with the French theme, Valentin Telleit is the new rider at Factory Suzuki. The 2008 Euro Champ has bucketloads of talent but again injuries have hampered his progress. Expect to see Telleit challenging at the front more and more as the season goes on.
Team Jacky Martens KTM has retained the services of World number five Joel Roelants. Roelants is fast but usually starts the year slowly, he will need to get out of the traps early this year if he wants to improve on his fifth place in the championship. Jordi Tixier is the latest in the long line of French hotshots and the 125 World Champ from 2010, looks very promising. 2011 will be a learning year but expect some stand out performances!
Team Husqvarna are back in MX2 with Ricci racing with riders Alessandro Lupino and American Michael Leib. Lupino has shown flashes of speed but will be looking to be a top ten rider in 2011. The same will go for American Leib who is embarking on his first full year of GP racing.
Britain’s Jake Nicholls was looking good for Roger Magee's HM Plant/Reb Bull KTM UK team, but he has broken his ankle and won’t be back in action until June.
Thursday 7 April 2011
2011 GP preview - MX1
MX1 GP Preview
It’s the start of the 2011 World Championship this weekend in Bulgaria- and what a series it promises to be. Multiple potential race winners and the unkown factor that creates the excitement for any new season means this weekend is building up to one of the best races of the year. Let’s look at some of the top contenders in MX1 and some dark horses.
With three World Champions in the class and a host of GP winners, the MX1 class is an astounding mix of quality riders and should provide some fantastic racing.
Antonio Cairoli is undoubtedly the favourite, the four time World Champ is the total package in GP motocross combining raw talent with excellent race craft, style and a big heart. He will no doubt have his 350 KTM improved from last season and his confidence will be sky high, but if anyone can beat him it could be Clement Desalle.
The 21 year old Factory Suzuki star is beginning his second in a factory team. With one year’s experience in the team they communication and knowledge will have improved. Desalle has improved fitness regime and his never say die attitude mean that he has all the tools, and now the experience, to take the fight to Cairoli and give the Italian his toughest challenge in the MX1 class so far.
The factory teammates of these two title favourites will also be backing themselves to take the title this year, but both KTM’s Max Nagl and Suzuki’s Steve Ramon need to improve on their weaknesses to take the title.
Nagl is moving to the 350 this season but he will be looking to keep his incredible starting ability that vaulted him to many holeshots in 2010. Nagl is smooth and fit, and if he can stay away from injuries he will be there or there a therebouts for the title, but does he have the mental strength and self belief to win a fight against Cairoli or Desalle when the title pressure is on?
Steve Ramon has won two World titles already, but both titles have been taken through consistency not through race wins, and with Cairoli consistently winning Ramon may need to step up his aggression in order to contend for wins and the championship. But the smoothest and maybe the most naturally talented rider in the class can never be counted out over a long series, Ramon may be the oldest rider in the class but he will be in the top five every week ready to take advantage of other riders mistakes.
Rinaldi Yamaha have their strongest line up in many years, 2008 World Champ David Philipearts returns for another crack at the title. The consummate professional David is very determined, very fit, mentally strong and will fight for every position. Similar to Ramon he will be there every weekend, but he may need to find a touch more raw speed over the entire fifteen rounds to challenge for wins consistently. One thing is for certain if Phillipearts is in the hunt down the stretch he won’t be giving an inch to his rivals.
New teammate Steven Frossard is coming up from MX2 where he finished third in the 2010 championship. Frossard has been in blistering from already in 2011 winning the Italian National championship against Cairoli and Philippearts. His speed is not in question on the hard tracks, but can Frossard keep it together in the sand and find the consistency to challenge for the title in his first season?
The Kawasaki teams have already been hit by injury, pre season title favourite Ben Townley back in the GPs riding for the CLS/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team is not even going to be on the line in Bulgaria after suffering a concussion practicing at home in New Zealand... his return to racing is unclear, but when he comes back he will be expected to fight for podiums and wins. The Factory GPKR Kawasaki team have already lost Sebastian Pourcel who has broken his back just two weeks prior to the GPs starting. It is the third year in a row injury has derailed the talented Frenchman’s GP season. This leaves the consistent and improving Xavier Boog who will be looking for his first win in 2011. Jonathan Barragan will be the green teams main hope for a title. If he can stay in the free the tough Spaniard can make his presence felt at the front, but he has yet to prove he can bring the speed he had on his KTM to the Kawasaki, maybe this will be the year.
Team Honda come into this season looking stronger than they have for a few years. The Martin Factory squad comprises Portuguese rider Rui Goncalves and Russian Evgeny Bobryshev. Bobryshev was the revelation of the 2010 season, he finished ninth in the World in his first MX1 season with some podium finishes as well as some blistering speed. He also won the British Championship for CAS Honda and now is looking to take the next step in his career with a factory team. Extensive training has left him fitter than ever before and the young talented Russian could well be a threat to win some races in 2011 but the title may be a bit too far away for him this year. Rui Goncalves is in his second year in the MX1 class but after spending last season on the 350, the 2009 MX2 runner –up is having to learn a new riding style for the 450 and as yet has not shown great speed in 2011. Rui is a hard worker and he will get faster as the season goes on, just how fast he can get remains to be seen, he could surprise some people.
LS Honda has a very strong team this season, Ken De Dycker returns to ride for the manufacturer he has had most success on in GPs and with the team being based in Belgium and not a high pressure outfit, De Dycker may have all the pieces in the puzzle to reignite his enthusiasm and show the form he did two or three years ago. De Dycker should win races in 2011, but can he put it together the whole season and keep his determination and fitness strong every weekend? Team mate Shaun Simpson has graduated to MX1 and fighting Scot is revelling in the low pressure environment and the torque of the 450 Honda that suits his riding style perfectly. Coming from two injury hit and high pressure years at factory KTM, the LS Honda set up could provide the ideal platform for Shaun to have fun with his racing and shock a few people at his speed on the 450.
Factory TM signing Tanel Leok has shown some impressive speed in the pre-season and the TM engine has been getting him out to great starts which has always been his weakness in seasons past. Another rider who has a lot of talent is Anthony Boissere, working with George Jobe the Yamaha rider will show flashes of brilliance in 2011 but needs to be more consistant when it isn’t his day. Added to that impressive list are guys like Marc De Reuver and Kevin Strijbos – both former GP winner and title contenders just need a healthy season and some good starts to rediscover their form and confidence of previous years.
The Brits are back MX1 for 2011 and it's not just Shaun Simpson. Jason Dougan in the form of his life in 2011 riding for Steve Dixon’s Wild Wolf Yamaha team and could have some good results, while young gun Graeme Irwin is campaigning the 350 KTM for Roger Magee’s HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK team. It will be a baptism of fire for the 19 year old Irishman in his first GP season but his heart is bigger than anyone else and he will find a way to climb the rankings.
Martin Barr is riding half the GPs for the Proppa.com KTM team. The 23 year old Irishman is in blistering form in the UK and if he can bring that speed to the GPs, a lot of teams will be shocked they haven’t signed the stylish rider for a full GP season.
Wednesday 6 April 2011
James Stewart - Ambition v Talent
When Casey Stoner confronted Valentino Rossi in Jerez on Sunday with the words, "Did your ambition outweigh your talent?" fellow Aussie Chad Reed no doubt felt he could have uttered the same words to nemesis James Stewart, with perhaps even more accuracy.
Stewart had once again got out of control, this time spearing into Reed knocking Chad off the track and ultimately costing him the points lead, just as Rossi had done with Stoner, and just like Rossi, the culprit ended up with a better finish than the innocent victim.
Asking the same question to both riders however is maybe where the similarities stop. Looking at the big picture and not just this one incident Rossi is known for his smoothness and intelligence on the track, he has a record breaking nine World Titles to his name and most people were shocked not just that he had taken out Stoner but that he had crashed in the first place.
In direct contrast to Rossi Stewart isn’t known for his smoothness or his racing brain. Fans now don’t seem to be shocked that Stewart crashed. In fact they aren’t even shocked that he crashed AGAIN, because now people (including his rivals) seem to EXPECT he will crash.
But what is the reason for all those crashes, does Stoner’s question apply even more to Stewart than Rossi? Is it Stewart’s ambition outweighing his talent that has led to these crashes? On the face of it, Stewart is the most talented rider in the sport and it appears, at least from the outside, that if James just rode to the edge of his talent that he would have won even more championships. But then would James be any faster than the rest if he didn’t ride over the edge of his talent? Only James knows the answer....
Even when he is comfortable in the lead and his talent is taking him to victory, Stewart still has the ambition to do more, in the 125s he wanted to win by minute - and usually it works. But when he has pressure with rivals on a similar pace the ambition seems to get the better of him. At Daytona a few weeks ago he was two seconds quicker than the rest and had the win in the bag within the opening laps, but that wasn’t good enough –Stewart wanted more and he kept pushing until he had a huge endo, gifting the win to Ryan Villopoto.
Stewart’s ambition seems to be even higher than his talent level, which is already absurdly high, but perhaps the two go hand in hand. If James didn’t have the ambition, would he have become as fast, would he have won those championships? Or has his talent and race winning dominance from he was on 50s created the expectation of crushing victories, which has created the automatic mindset to dominate every race at every level.
Stewart’s ambition to win at all costs has brought him a legion of fans, but it appears to be his ambition to win that is ironically also costing him some fans and now wins.
Maybe James needs to learn to accept that with the current competition level he will have to lose a few battles in order to win the war... something all the greats have learnt to do. You don’t always have to be the fastest to win a championship you also have to be the smartest and channel your ambition in the right way...just ask Chad Reed.
But then again, do the fans really want a smart James Stewart, or would they miss the ruthless ambition to dominate every race even if it means riding above his talent level... because that until now is what defines James Stewart and that is why we love to watch him race.
Stewart had once again got out of control, this time spearing into Reed knocking Chad off the track and ultimately costing him the points lead, just as Rossi had done with Stoner, and just like Rossi, the culprit ended up with a better finish than the innocent victim.
Asking the same question to both riders however is maybe where the similarities stop. Looking at the big picture and not just this one incident Rossi is known for his smoothness and intelligence on the track, he has a record breaking nine World Titles to his name and most people were shocked not just that he had taken out Stoner but that he had crashed in the first place.
In direct contrast to Rossi Stewart isn’t known for his smoothness or his racing brain. Fans now don’t seem to be shocked that Stewart crashed. In fact they aren’t even shocked that he crashed AGAIN, because now people (including his rivals) seem to EXPECT he will crash.
But what is the reason for all those crashes, does Stoner’s question apply even more to Stewart than Rossi? Is it Stewart’s ambition outweighing his talent that has led to these crashes? On the face of it, Stewart is the most talented rider in the sport and it appears, at least from the outside, that if James just rode to the edge of his talent that he would have won even more championships. But then would James be any faster than the rest if he didn’t ride over the edge of his talent? Only James knows the answer....
Even when he is comfortable in the lead and his talent is taking him to victory, Stewart still has the ambition to do more, in the 125s he wanted to win by minute - and usually it works. But when he has pressure with rivals on a similar pace the ambition seems to get the better of him. At Daytona a few weeks ago he was two seconds quicker than the rest and had the win in the bag within the opening laps, but that wasn’t good enough –Stewart wanted more and he kept pushing until he had a huge endo, gifting the win to Ryan Villopoto.
Stewart’s ambition seems to be even higher than his talent level, which is already absurdly high, but perhaps the two go hand in hand. If James didn’t have the ambition, would he have become as fast, would he have won those championships? Or has his talent and race winning dominance from he was on 50s created the expectation of crushing victories, which has created the automatic mindset to dominate every race at every level.
Stewart’s ambition to win at all costs has brought him a legion of fans, but it appears to be his ambition to win that is ironically also costing him some fans and now wins.
Maybe James needs to learn to accept that with the current competition level he will have to lose a few battles in order to win the war... something all the greats have learnt to do. You don’t always have to be the fastest to win a championship you also have to be the smartest and channel your ambition in the right way...just ask Chad Reed.
But then again, do the fans really want a smart James Stewart, or would they miss the ruthless ambition to dominate every race even if it means riding above his talent level... because that until now is what defines James Stewart and that is why we love to watch him race.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)