Monday Conversation: Ryan Villopoto
Monday, September 12, 2011 | 7:45 PM
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PrintRyan Villopoto claimed the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship via a third-place finish in the final moto of the season at the Traxxas Pala National in California. Afterwards, he seemed as relieved as he was happy, with a long season of close title fights finally complete—and both the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross titles in his possession. He spoke about it in the post-race press session.
Racer X Online: Can you breathe yet?
Ryan Villopoto: Yeah it’s been a hell of a year. One of the toughest. Every title I’ve won, up until these two, I wouldn’t say they were easy, but they weren’t hard like this. Supercross was a long season, and then we started off outdoors not very good. It finally started to turn around, but it was tough. So here we are, and I’m glad we’re here.
At any point during the season did you start to wonder if you couldn’t pull this off?
You know, like I said, we started the year outdoors a little off. If it weren’t for Ryan’s DNF at Texas, actually even now it would have looked a little shy for myself. But that’s racing, those mistakes happen. The real turning point was around Unadilla when we were able to ride our new bike. We made a lot of progress at that point.
In supercross, you had a small points lead heading into the last race, so you didn’t have to win it. But you tried and did lead for a few laps, anyway. Was that the strategy here? You went out and won the first moto.
Yeah, the first moto I felt good. I wasn’t a huge fan of the track, only because it was such a high speed track. I think next year they definitely need to slow it down. And we raced pretty late in the second one, and the sun and shadows were pretty bad. So that was scary, too. I just wanted to stay out of trouble.
Ryan takes the number one plate from AMA Pro Racing's Kevin Crowther.
Simon Cudby photo
There was a super close call in the first moto when your hand came off the bars. What was that like?
I haven’t seen it on video yet, but I lived it so I know what it must have looked like. I just overshot the double. Ryan was to the left of me and I saw him, he was a little bit lower than me. I went long, and I don’t know what happened, but my hand slipped off the bars for some reason. I guess I overshot it by more than I thought. That’s not really typical, when you overshoot a jump, normally your hand doesn’t just come off the bars. I must not have been hanging on hard enough.
Was that scary?
Yeah! Ryan was next to me and he looked over, probably thinking “Is he going down?” It was definitely scary and I hope to never do that again.
You went through so much rehab and surgery last year with the broken leg. Did you have this in mind the whole time, or were you afraid at one point that you wouldn’t be able to come back to this level?
I think, as one of the top riders, you feel like you’re never really going to lose that speed. But you start to doubt yourself when you’re sitting on the couch. You start to wonder. But then you start to do normal things again, you’re standing and walking around, and then you start to train and ride. It comes back and you start to realize things are going to turn around sooner or later.
The tension between the Ryans seemed to release as soon as the second moto was over, and their season-long battle was finally settled.
Simon Cudby photo
Dude, the starts today. You and Ryan were getting rammed almost as soon as you came out of the gate. Take us through those starts, and what it was like to have to come through traffic with so much on the line today.
Yeah it was nuts. Me and Ryan lined up right next to each other on both starts. We were on the inside. In the first moto, Chad [Reed] must have gotten one hell of a jump and he came over on us immediately. It put me up almost into the banners. Then I dropped right down in front of Ryan, and then Chad slid out in the first turn, and it put us right into the middle of chaos. You know, everyone out there is out there trying to make a name for themselves, it’s contract time, so they’re all going for it. It was pretty hairball for about half the race.
Looks like we have a pretty strong team heading into Motocross of Nations.
Yeah, definitely. We get to let our hair down a little bit. I think for Ryan, too, it’s been a long season for both of us. I don’t think there’s anybody faster than us. I think we have an awesome shot at winning. For Blake, he’s definitely fast and he’s won some races over here. As long as he looks at it like another race and approaches it as just another race, we’ll be fine.
What do you have planned for the off season?
Well, there’s not much of an off season for us. But it will be nice to not get on that plane every weekend.
RV didn't just ride for the title at Pala. He launched a come-from-behind charge in the first moto to snag the win.
Simon Cudby photo
Seemed like in 2009 when you went out with a knee injury, you were almost relieved to finally get a break. It seemed like last year when you went out, you were more bummed out. You were so close in supercross and you didn’t even make it to the outdoors. Was there a difference in the two seasons?
Yeah, definitely. The knee is a much easier injury. The leg, it was a big deal. I was on crutches a long time, and when you have that type of an injury, it really sucks. And to get hurt and not be able to finish supercross or race outdoors again, that was definitely a downside to me.
You and Ryan both seemed really happy on the podium. What’s it like to finally have that pressure off? For both of you, every single race this year has had so much pressure, with the points being so close every week. You’re finally away from that.
It’s nice. It’s good to really be yourself and not have to be so serious. Like I said, going into this next week, it’s not about me, it’s not about him and it’s not about Blake. It’s about all three of us.
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Congrats Ryan. Thank you for a hell of a season.
Kudos Villo! RV is the undisputed world number one now, like RC and RJ before him.
Reed, Villo, Dungey, thanks for that great season.
What a great year to be a Motocross fan. It is just a bit of a shame that someone had to come in second.
R V 1
So, DC, will you be putting RV in your "noise" section of your mag complaining about the track at Pala? We all know about how Clement Desalle complained about Glen Helen, So I think it should get top billing when the champ complains about the track at Pala. Don't you?
Yea I guess it is RV1 from now on lol
He's earned it
Here's to next year!
More then deserving champ! RV1 from now on!!!
Wow- great year for sure. I really like the way these two battled it out every weekend and now they seem like a couple of buddies teaming up to take on the world. The two Ryans certainly are a class act, proud to have them representing the USA. Baggett too. Good luck you three-Here's hoping you guys can make Moron Mike the European whiner cry real tears!!!! LOL
Congrats to RV2 .Don't forget Metty too. GREAT SEASON!!
RV obviously knows Blake is going to be under a lot of pressure and already sounds like a team leader (even though officially the other Ryan is). "Limit the damage" may be the theme of Blake's ride because it seems his game has been off lately, but hopefully many doubters are wrong ala Tim Ferry when he actually saved the day for USA when Stewart spent all moto kicking his 450.
I also think fans could feel the pressure release from Dungey after the final moto. The guy was all smiles and not the PR podium robot. Watching footage it's as if he's a regular 20-something hanging out with buds after a local event.
I concur, what a heck of a year for racing! SX and MX was not a foregone conclusion and the points were so close that the any given race meaning.
Go USA!
Yes another great season, one for the ages. Some really top class riders who respect each other.
Good Luck team USA!
Kudos to RV for pulling off the win. He deserved it, though he forgot to mention that Reed had both he and RD covered until that massive getoff at Millville. The twists and turns of this championship were amazing. Great series and champion.
Funny rxsux. Every top guy interviewed has stated that PALA was too fast and/or dangerous. Couple that with limited viewing for spectators and you have an outdoor supercross track that has no business being part of this great series. It makes no sense that the soul keeper of the sport, DC/RX, has this venue on the schedule. Is it because there is a great place to have the season ending party? If RV's or any riders comments make Noise, I would be surprised.
RV got stronger and stronger as the year went on, The last 3/4 rounds I would even say he was the dominant guy. I think he could run the table again next year and it might not be anywhere near this close. If all the Others switch bikes even better for RV.
Great interview and a class act. What a great season for us spectators.
USA!!!! So pumped for the des nations
RV is a great rider who should win more championships, but I don't see him having multiple RC-like seasons. The field is just too deep now. I see that as a good thing. It's much more exciting as a fan to have championships like we had this year.
Now it's just the MXdN. I'm not sure why they didn't give everyone a week off after the US and GP season finales. I hope the promoters don't do any BS like what's been done in the past;watering the track into a mud hole or changing jumps that only the US guys are doing. France has a pretty good team, and has home advantage, but unless Baggett has a terrible day, the USA should take it pretty easily. My moto predictions for the Ryans are 1-1-2-1.
Will the MXdN be televised in the U.S. ?
@Duc996 I think it'll end up being on some website like alli cause last year I watched it on redbulltv.com or somethin like that
Thank You
mx-live.tv, order it and u get a monster MXofN t-shirt too
mx-life.tv....
(sorry for my bad English) imho Villo was under pressure this year because he was injured his first two season on 450 (therefore never won a 450 championship before), in 2012 he will probably be more relaxing, more confident, and more experimented for the 17+12 rounds of the ama series, and also more experimented with the Aldo Baker's training/diet. imho again it will be diffucult for Dungey to make a top-3 on sx with the kt, and RD5 will be less good for the mx too :), Reed getting old :), Canard always injured :(, Stewart to inconsistent, the future is bright for Villo, yes i think that Villo can keep the two #1 the next years!
no many articles on racerx now, i can't imagine all the work they do with pala and the mxon! :)
Both Ryan's showed a tom of respect for each other, no drama, no takeouts, no riding over their heads...just clean racing. RV2 congrats.
@BillC, Yeah if all the other riders switch bikes for nest year it probably will help................the other riders, not Villopoto.
Langston switched to the 08 model in 07 outdoors and all of a sudden got faster, improved, turned his season around (best finish was a 3rd, and he started winning). Ended up winning the championship over Allessi, Short, and Ferry on factory Kawi, who all were better than Langston until the switch.
Villopoto and Weimer change bikes switching from the 2011 to the 2012 outdoors and all of a sudden got faster, improved, and turned their seasons around.
So, if other riders also switch bikes, you were implying that would be a good thing for Villo and I actually see that as a catching up the the Kawasakis kind of thing.
RV had a "new" bike but same brand, Lots of info still worked for it. When You go from Suzuki to KTM u start from ground zero, He has notyhing to work with and the bike will feel completly dif. Thats how i see it anyway.
DUMBOBILL: please keep on digging holes in your retard country, your posts are impossibile to read, go to school. It's easy to be a fan of the rider who wins, like you have been doing, and insulting all the others.
This guy had been insulting the riders since when RacerX decided to make everybody sign in to post comments, mainly due to this retard. He should be banned forever.