by Steve Cox
250 Words: Millville
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 | 2:42 PM
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PrintIf you look hard enough, you can find patterns in almost anything. With the 250cc class this year outdoors, though, the pattern isn’t very hard to spot. Through seven rounds, Chris Pourcel has only lost one first moto, and he has only won two second motos.
The one first moto that he lost came at High Point in the opening, muddy first moto that Justin Barcia won. However, when it was dryer, Pourcel came back to win the second moto while his teammate Tyla Rattray won the overall with a 2-2.
Chris Pourcel (377) leads Trey Canard (38)... In the first moto, anyway.
Photo: Steve Cox
The other second moto he won came in Colorado, where he scored his only 1-1 sweep of the season so far.
But at every other race, he won moto one and didn’t do as hot in the second moto. Is he best on smooth tracks? Usually, smooth riders like him are good on rough tracks, because they can find the lines around the big bumps. Does it have to do with him being fresher earlier in the day? In other words, does he get a bit rundown by moto two?
It’s hard to say, but at the last two races, his second-moto finishes are fifth and 10th. With 10 motos left to run, Pourcel leads Dean Wilson by 32 points, but maybe more significantly, considering the streak, he leads Trey Canard – winner of the last two events – by 44 points.
At this rate of points loss from the last two races, Pourcel will still win the title with a few points to spare, but if things continue this way, what Pourcel cannot afford is another unforeseen problem, such as his mechanical DNF at Southwick last year.
This championship may yet come down to the wire.
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I think Pourcel thought winning the outdoor was going to be a little easier than it is.. I think he will still win the championship, but not by much..
Why not interview the freak and ask him what his deal is? Common sense....
pretty sure dean wilsons 2nd place in points position and season consistency is more significant than canards 2 race wins. everyone keeps saying now canards got the title when dean still holds 2nd in points and has been the most consistent rider in the class.
I dont think anyone is saying TC has the tittle, I think its just that he's been riding "like a man posessed" lately..
CP isn't in shape and we are coming into the hottest part of the summer. Canard has a good shot..
Considering this "streak" continues and Pourcel wins a moto at the next 5 rounds he will gain an extra 15 points on Canard giving him a 59 point deficit. That would mean even if canard got the other 5 wins and overalls the worst Pourcel could do is get 8th at the remaining rounds roughly to win the championship. This sounds hard how? Of course "streak" considering.
Just like he doesn't care how much he wins by I doubt Pourcel cares how much he wins this championship by. He's not going to throw it away trying to build his elad. He's pretty content where he's at. He won't start fighting hard until someone gets that gap down below 15 again. There's really no momentum in my eyes. Pourcel isn't backed in to a corner. Let him chip away at those points. He HAS to if he wants to catch him. The momentum is stil on Pourcel's side. All Pourcel has to do is manage a healthy points gap... which he has done a good job of all summer long so far.
rg807-its funny you talk about the hottest part of summer and cp being out of shape when trey canard collapsed from heat exhaustion back in texas.
GO DEANO
Its CP's title to lose... It may be close... but I think CP will take the Championship... that is what they are paid to do... Win Championships!
As long as they stop interviewing that squeaky voiced whiner Wilson on the podium, it will be good...
I've heard that CP cannot train as hard or ride as much as the rest of the riders because of his injuries. That would explain the fact that he dosifies his strenght to win the first motos and ride on safe mode for the 2nd motos. He is a smart rider taking advantage of his smooth style to reduce body wear and conserve energy. In any case all I can say is that this guy is amazing and deserves everithing good that comes his way. The other issue will be when he starts riding that heavier 450 next year. I wish him the best. Canard is finding his mojo and Wilson really is the most consistent. Good luck for all.
norcal- yea funny. Canard had one bad moto. CP's second motos have almost all been bad by any measure.
I still don't understand how people can say Dean is the most consistent. Pourcel is the only guy in either class to have won a moto at every round this year. Lo and behold he's also the points leader. The most consistent rider will always be the points leader... always.
For the record, I like TC a lot more than I like CP, moto0619, but to say Trey's had "one bad moto" and that "CP's second motos have almost all been bad by any measure" is a tad bizarre. Pourcel's second moto scores have been 3, 5, 1, 6, 1, 5, 10. Trey's had finishes of 7, 2, 4, 7, 14, 4, 7, 8, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 1. Frenchie didn't build a 44-point lead on him by having "almost all bad" second motos. That said, norcal, it must have been in your dreams where "everyone keeps saying now canards got the title." Your arguments would be a lot more palatable if you stayed away from words like "all," "every," "never," etc. Those absolutes rarely hold true.
StephenB, I would agree but you should add the word good. Consistently good. One can also be consistently bad, and go 40-40 every race. He would be perceived as the most consistent of all, consistently bad.
CP377 is a amazing rider think of how fast he would be if not for that injury. Most of us or any rider would never be able to come back from such a injury. I hope Canard can keep winning and make this a close championship. But you cant take anything away fron CP he's riding amazing considering every thing he has been thou! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone uses CPs injury as the excuse when he doesn't win. I don't think Mitch would have hired Pourcel if he wasn't capable of racing at 100%. Pourcel brags that he never trains. If anyone else trained like him they would have the same problem, bad results on hot rough days.
Everyone uses CPs injury as the excuse when he doesn't win. I don't think Mitch would have hired Pourcel if he wasn't capable of racing at 100%. Pourcel brags that he never trains. If anyone else trained like him they would have the same problem, bad results on hot rough days.
TWK101" You must be kidding i am not a CP377 fan would mutch rather see Canard win the championship. But CP was paralyzed and came back it's not like one day your paralyzed and the next everything is ok. You have to give the guy credit for his ability on a bike and to overcome what he has been thou! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!
Pourcel out of shape?? That's money I would not bet on! I think he's playing it safe but I also think something is going on with him during those second moto's! Anyways a fun class to wath this outdoor season!
yzsean last week on Mathes radio show Kyle Bentley said he never has to work on CPs practice bike because he rarely rides it and keeps him happy by sending him 2-stoke oil for his Jet-skis. If any other pro riders trained like that they wouldn't finish moto 1. I don't think his bad second motos have anything to do with an old injury. CPs just not training hard enough to ride 2 motos 100% when the tracks are rough and its hot.
@twk101 it was hot and rough in the high altitude of thunder valley when he went 1-1. hes far from out of shape.
TWK101" I know he put 30 hour on in a year. But there are also some looming problems with the old crash he has problems with his mid section. His abs are not holding his innards and the jarring from riding is giving him intestine problems that's a big reason he does not ride. Like i said before i would like nothing more the to see Canard winning this championship! DUNGEY RULES!!!!!!!!!!
sef154, thanks for the lookup. Knew it was way off. CP has one(1) finish outside the top 6 and that is "bad by any measure"? Unless the "measure" is the 250 class. And winning at least 1 moto every round.. dunno, but THAT sounds pretty consistent. Hate to use the word "I" here but... it prob seems to regulars here that I pull for CP all the time. Not so, I just like a guy to get a fair shake (reputation-wise) and nobody except Henry ever came back from anything like this guy has and he gets dissed for his handicap? OK; dissed may be a bit strong, but anyone who seriously follows this sport knows his injuries seriously compromise his ability to recover between motos (OR TRAIN HARD).... especially race days when he gets his meds/hydration/routine a little off. So, extra credit for the guy on-track?? Of course not. But have the sand to acknowledge guts when you see them. Imagine the pressure of knowing you HAVE to win the 1st moto because you have no idea (yet) if your body will respond normally between motos or betray you. No pressure there. Note too that he (usually) minimizes or denies all this. Admirable. So what’s the rub? He’s French? Well; he sold his soul to MX, lugs a bad deal quietly, and rides a bike like Jesus (but for the chest protector..). Seems like enough. You would think it would make a good story,…
… but the glass is frequently half-empty in the public's perception (certainly on the boards).... want a decent example? With all this discussion about Dungey's consistency (so very true) and CP’s inconsistency, if I told you that RD has led 100 laps and not-won 4 motos, what would you guess then about CP? Don’t think, just react. How about 99 laps and 6 motos? Not comparing them in any other way (DUNGEY RULES!!!, for sean), nor claiming that these are the only relevant stats (average finish 2.2 vs 2.9); but asking… are those the numbers of 2 guys at the opposite ends of the consistency Olympics? Then why the perception? And that’s my point. I hope it’s not the French thing; that would be so discouraging, but that is what I am left with. Who do you have more in common with, an MX guy from anywhere, or your neighbor who collects lawn gnomes? I will take the MX guy, and if he is fast, his heart beats big, and he seems like a decent enough guy, that is all that matters. The rest is BS.
Read an article about the French MXdN team about a week ago. If Pourcel races the des Nations it will be on a 450 and only a 450. Anyone think that 250f only has 30 hours on it because there's a 450 with more hours sitting somewhere? All he really needed to do was Outdoor testing. After that it just comes down to technique. He already rides the bike at a low RPM anyway. Much like a 450.
CP377 had a huge injury in his lower back in 2007, that hold him for more than one year, and prevents him to recover between motos, due to persistent problems @ his stomach related to this injury The training subject should be out of scope, based on last lap on 1st moto @ Millville, with the awesome battle with TC...
StephenB, we all know your a Euro, but CP isnt the only rider out there. And we all know about CP injury 3 years ago, diont make excuses. His second motos last season where fine mostly. So why is his injury suddenly bothering him now. Dean Wilson is a rookie, and looks great, By the time he has the pro expeirience that CP has, he will be winning in the 450 class. Canard looks to be in shape and strong, I think the class is seeing more parity..
BD200, my money's with your bet. Love the way deano rides. definately favors a 450 i think. I'm thinking Deano can win the championship for sure. i hate the honda fans. Trey finally won a moto in his 3rd season. Deano came out swinging, hasn't had a bad moto yet, but they're saying trey has it in the bag. I'm so confused. I've heard for months that Stewarts injury was a broken navicular (small bone in wrist/hand). Than i read last night he broke a completely different bone. I also Read last night a Decoster interview where he was saying "Austin should be ready to race again soon, the shoulder injury didn't require surgery". What is with alll this bull ****t? @ MXFANS "squeaky voiced whiner dean wilson"??? What kind of glue are you sniffing. Jealousy is a b!ttch, MX doesn't need fans like you. Jealous because DEan is always on the podium cuz he hauls a**$. His voice hasn't changed yet because he hasn't hit puberty yet. How awesome is that? He's making lots of cash, pulling chicks, winning races, and he hasn't hit puberty yet. Hes' living my dream for sure. Take it from here SEF, These guys are so ignorant. Go DEAno
yzsean, CP wasnt paralyzed. He had a busted pelvis , thats why he couldnt walk. And it was 3 years ago. He was doing fine with the 2nd motos last year, now he isnt and everyone makes excuses for him. I dont think he is that motivated for a 250 title. I think he would rather be in the 450 class. You know he hates seeing Dungey run away with the 450 class. If you dont train hard, you cant push your body hard. And he had to push in the first moto, and the 2nd one came around, he hadnt recovered yet because he isnt in good enough shape.
Conditioning could be a factor, but there's no doubt that Pourcel has physical issues that are likely affecting him to some extent. Why this year and not last? For one thing, it's been a lot hotter this summer. It's been documented that his injuries mess with his ability to sweat (and thus cool off). How can that not affect him? And let me remind you, I am NOT a CP fan -- but unless you have intimate details of his condition, then you're just ragging on him without just cause.
"pinned927" The Navicular is outdated terminology for the "Scaphoid" bone, which is what they have been referring to. Same bone different terminology.
Damn.....I agree with you again sef. I have personal experience with the type of problems Pourcel has. He has to take meds to go to the bathroom...that means lots of nerve damage......your intestines (muscles) are not firing properly....food is not moved along properly....sometimes backwards....it's a nightmare!!!! Plus the guys body can't cool itself properly.....they soak him with ice water before he goes to the line. I bet he has severe cramping from his intestines not properly absorbing nutrients and minerals etc....trust me, I know about this stuff. It has been hotter this year....that alone can drastically change everything for him....it does for me....or maybe he's just having more trouble this year....things sometimes seem better for a while....and then suddenly get alot worse...who knows why. Hell, I couldn't imagine trying to actually race while dealing with this stuff.....I'm startin to look at this guy like he's not even human! I'm more of a Canard fan....but man will I feel bad for Pourcel if he doesn't win the championship.
Has anyone seen what Pourcel looked like (physically) before his accident compared to now? You can tell he's sick just looking at him.
Straight up Pourcel is a bad ass; I cant believe you guys are talking so much smack about a guy who has a considerable lead in the series. I have seen him in the crowd watching the 2nd 450 race last year and he was totally cool, signing autgraphs for kids and sitting with the common folk. Cut the dude a break and appreciate what a fun series this is to watch. It is soooo much more exciting than the 450 series.
Thank you Sef! Too bad the heat and humidity at each round aren't part of mxsports boxscores, but the heat this year has been way above last year's. Only 2 rounds so far have been less than steaming, Hangtown and Colorado....and how did Pourcel do in those 2nd motos? Washougal is always cooler so look for less of an issue for him there as well. And I wouldn't take this "not riding/not training" thing too far. Rick Johnson used to claim he just surfed and had fun but in truth he was busting his ass. Bayle used to claim the same things. It's possible Pourcel does zero training/riding but that would mean he really is Superman if he can pull that off and ride like that.
is it just me or does Ping look like a chubby Lt. Dangle from Reno 911? LOL!!!