Open Mic: Motocross of Nations
Thursday, September 22, 2011 | 12:00 PM
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Jimmy Albertson- Team Puerto Rico- 3rd place B- Main
It was disappointing to me because we really wanted to come here and dominate the MXDN! [Laughs] The team struggled as a whole. I fell down both of my races, I went right over the fence in my first race. Brad Anderson sent me right over. I rode okay, but the rest of our guys had problems as well. It was a bad deal but I still had fun here.
It was disappointing to me because we really wanted to come here and dominate the MXDN! [Laughs] The team struggled as a whole. I fell down both of my races, I went right over the fence in my first race. Brad Anderson sent me right over. I rode okay, but the rest of our guys had problems as well. It was a bad deal but I still had fun here.
The track was fun, I didn’t go out for morning practice because it was muddy. But then it looked pretty good and I was thinking I should have gone out. In the first lap I washed my front end out over a jump and smashed myself into the face of a jump. After that I came through the pack, but what are you going to do when you’re in last?
Dean Wilson- Team Great Britain- 9-27- 5th OA MX2 class
Not bad for us, I’m a little upset because I let the whole team down. After the first race we were first place and I was over the moon. Then the second race came and I sucked, I crashed a bunch. I came into this race with a sore wrist, I knew something was wrong with it but I didn’t want to know what until after this race. Now I know that it’s broken. Bad way to end the season but if there was time to get hurt, I guess it’s right now.
Holding on was tough, I was trying to use the other hand out there with these big jumps. I didn’t ride to my best capabilities and that sucked. I was sixth in my second moto and my bike crapped out for a bit and then it got better. I felt like I was about to pass Metcalfe but then I hit a huge rut and went over the bars. I was way back and then crashed again. I was so far back. I finished the race but it sucked getting lapped.
"Not bad for us, I’m a little upset because I let the whole team down." - Dean Wilson
Photo: Ray Archer
Tommy Searle- Team Great Britain 4-4- 3rd OA MX1 class
Today was good for me, every time I got on the 450, I got better. I need to improve a bit more because sometimes I get excited and forget I’m on a 450. I had the fourth fastest time on the 450 so that was good. The new Kawasaki bike with the traction [Launch Control button] on it is just amazing. I came out with good starts both times from the outside gate. I think the moment that stood out was when I was down and was so far behind from the leaders, I thought my nose was broken. But then when I was coming through the pack, passing some big names, it was great. I followed Reed through the pack and then passed him near the end. Those guys were so far in front of me at the start.
Gautier Paulin- Team France 1-8- 2nd OA MX3 Class
I am pretty happy and in my first moto I got a great start and was second. I was riding easy and not making any mistakes. Then I passed him and got the lead. It was easy because I had good lines. I tried to get some rest for the next moto but then I saw that Ryan Villopoto was coming strong so I had to pick it up. I won the moto and it was unbelievable. To be a French rider in front of the French fans, you can not imagine how good that is.
Yesterday I had a difficult moto in qualification. I started second behind Ryan and I was not happy with my bike set-up. My front tire wasn’t good. But then we made some changes and I had the best time this morning and I was happy. I got a bad start in my second moto and was fighting through but it wasn’t enough. I saw that Pourcel was off and I was worried for him because this is not a track to crash on. So I had to get an Australia rider to get second [overall for the French team] and that’s what I did. In my mind, I don’t want to look back on how it was. I gave it 100 percent and that’s it. We had some bad luck and the American team was really strong. Second place is not so bad.
"To be a French rider in front of the French fans, you can not imagine how good that is." - Gautier Paulin.
Photo: Ray Archer
Chad Reed- Team Australia 1-7-4th OA MX1 Class
Honestly, since the crash at Millville it has been very clear I didn’t have what I did pre-crash. No disrespect to the two Ryans but I felt like I had them covered. I was twenty plus points up at one point. Oh well, coming out here I felt better and better all the time and in that first moto when it started raining, I started to enjoy it and push it in the right areas. I pulled away from those guys and it was sweet to do that. It was a nice feeling to get the monkey off your back a little bit.
These MXDNs have always got me as an individual and as a team and really this team wasn’t any better. I came out of the shower after my moto and I ran down to the pits, threw on a headset and couldn’t see Mossy [Matt Moss] anywhere. But then they told me that his bike wasn’t able to even get going. But we could drop that so it didn’t matter. The win wasn’t the goal for us, you want it and you say it but as a team, you got to look at the three guys on USA and they can get it done.
I’m pumped to finally get a podium for our country, it’s been a long time and it’s finally worked out.
Brett Metcalfe- Team Australia 7-10- 6th OA MX2 Class
It’s a huge honor to finish on the podium here as a team. We definitely had second there for a bit but then I looked back and Reed was gone. I was like "oh no" but then I went down a lap or two later. Hopefully this breaks something in the future years and we can focus on actually being a top three team and not just trying to be a top three team.
It was really difficult to get a set-up for this track that works. There aren’t any tracks in the USA that are like this one. It’s hard to set up your bike for 70 percent rock, 30 percent dirt. I think every US-based rider was struggling with this track today. It was gnarly and it got rough which was good to slow it down a bit. I thought that second moto was the best I’d enjoyed the track all weekend.
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"No disrespect to the Ryans, but I had them covered" what a dork.... with a 20 pt lead at the half way point in the series ?....Funny, when Reed has the points lead he "has it covered"...but when he doesnt have the points lead he says " anything can happen, its not over..gotta be in it to win it...." .....Well, if things took the same course even without the milleville crash....RV would have still whooped Reeds ass at Unadilla and Steel City and Reed still would have double DNF'd at Southwick....crashing and recovering is a part of racing ...the MXoN moto win was a good win for Reed and AUS....but it was a sloppy rainy nobody could see a thing moto....dont let the ego get too inflated off one race....final moto of the day Reed got smoked.....
Agreed! Stay is Australia Knight Reed...
So you guys are saying that Reed is a fool for having confidence and you don't want him to race in the states even though he is a title condender? That's brilliant...
What would you expect Reed to say? "I knew they were going to smoke me...." Guys rarely get to Reed's level without having confidence. Clearly, he wasn't the same after that crash. To say "if things took the same course even without the milleville crash....RV would have still whooped Reeds ass at Unadilla and Steel City and Reed still would have double DNF'd at Southwick...." is no more accurate than saying, "If Reed didn't crash at Millville he would have won more motos/scored more points, etc." Nobody knows for sure either way (unless, of course, you're clairvoyant). Bottom line: he DID crash at Millville; his performance DID suffer afterward; and he DID win a moto at MXdN. So many people out here looking to pick apart everything these guys do or say....
Plus, don't forget Reed said, "you got to look at the three guys on USA and they can get it done." Sounds like respect to me.
but it was a sloppy rainy nobody could see a thing moto,,, WHAT A COMMENT.... SO YOU SAID the track was bad.. and even the best rider of the world culdn't ride it??? and one did... so what that suppost to mean?????? boddy??? and think one thing.. hi is the only rider , if he ride at 100 as villapoto ,, and crash what would happent to the team....i rather be in top 5 and grown my team little by little.. that go creazy...be smart......
There wasn't that many different riders in this compared to some weeks. Must have been the guys with a late (or no) flight. LOL
"had them covered" may have a bit strong. "right there with them" may have been more accurate. "I wasn't finishing a minute behind every moto" even more so. I agree that these guys have to borderline-arrogant levels of confidence to ride at the very top level. It just comes across different depending on the rider.
I too think that Reed's comment of having them covered is a little odd. I understand confidence is important but there is a difference between arrogance and confidence and I think he borders it. Sure the "crash" was scary but it could not have worked out any better for him and I think that the last 4-5 races really showed that he was running on a streak of luck for the first half of the season. I gained alot of respect for Reed this year but I think both the Ryan's are the only ones to say they really have someone covered.
Reed DID have em covered ,he had more overalls and a lot more moto wins. Nobody stayed with him thats factual. So "if" tho, {it did and thats racing} but as you say if that crash didnt happen he would`ve got smoked by RV whats that based on ,not any of the previous motos in which there were a few Reed beat RV by 30+ seconds . It seems your one of those who has a favorite rider & forget facts. You probably said CR didnt have a chance in sx or the outdoors and he still had more moto wins than RD and only one racer beat him in sx [by 4pts] more podiums than ANYBODY, an outdoor title,two sx titles, he won a moto TEN years ago in the MXon & another this year, right ,why would that give a racer an ego, because nobody active can match his resume RV & RD are lucky Reed crashed @ Millville he smoked RV in the first moto,fact, passed him @ the beginning of the second moto. There lucky he crashed.
relax fellas! put the witch-hunt torches down!!! Reed did have a excellent season, won 4 overalls, lead the points and ran the red plate for a majority of the season, fell apart after the wreck, won a moto in the MXoN, and did it on his own team. pretty respectable reguardless if you like him or not. And he did give the USA props!
KH23M....to say Reed was lucky is wrong, guy is the most consistent rider ever besides RC. It sucks he wasn't able to put that crash behind him because he was 100% not at the same level after that happened. RV and RD didn't magically turn the heat up THAT much over Reed's riding in the first half of the series. I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Reed may be getting to the age now where he's starting to think too much while riding instead of just going on instinct. Kids and riders without families and young children wouldn't understand that. I agree that saying RV and RD having Reed covered even without the Millville crash is just as credible as saying Reed had the Ryans covered. I appreciate how Chad speaks his mind, and considering the level he's ridden at for how many years I think the things he says are very informative and good insight.
Also Reed got off the podium and shook there hands then got back on the podium. Respect.
BTW I am clairvoyant... :)
reed hauls ass- and he can say what ever he wants. just like all of us idiots on this forum do.
I do disagree That RV did not step it up. I say for sure he did. the last 4 races (-)Southwick moto 2 mud fest RV pretty much dominated the end of the season over RD who was right there with Reed pretty muchevery moto before the big crash.
@ trucker
Don't know how much of the season you watched but I watched every minute of every race and it's was very obvious RV was not up to speed the first half. Whether it was health or the bike or a combination of both......once he got his crap together he was starting to become the dominant racer a lot of us were expecting from the beginning...
Reed got off to a great start and had a lot of momentum but I don't doubt the Ryan's were going to catch him at some point. of course that's just my opinion but any honest observer would agree RV improved in a big way by the end of the season.
down boys....down... man so sensative.
I am not taking anything away from Reed at all, excellent rider we all know that....and yes, riders need to be confident, there is nothing wrong with that....My point was during supercross he was behind points (like RD and RV were outdoors) and Reed kept saying during SX " its not over til its over, anything can happen" and so on and it did in the form if RD dnf and RV dns....So for him to say " i had them covered" at the half way point of the outdoors is just contradicting when during SX he said "anything can happen"....My comment has nothing to do with him respecting USA or racing in USA, I know he respects the Ryans....It was just funny to me that once he barley wins a race in the mud, all is well all the sudden he is back on the " i had them covered".....he could have not crashed at Milleville and maybe crashed harder at Washougal....you never know.....Yes, it fare to say Reed wasnt the same after milleville.....but if you say that, you better say Reed wasnt racing the same RV we saw from Unadilla on either......calm down dudes...
@trucker....Reed had a great first half, no doubt....he was consistent on the days RV would blow their doors off one moto and then flounder the second..and he got lucky when RD broke....that is a fact. RD breaking down and Reed crashing are part of racing...I also saw Reed get dropped by RV on a few occasions as well when Reed was right there.....Colorado, you saw RV smoke him by 30+ both motos.....you can fling shit all you want....bottom line is, you'll never know cause Reed crashed and couldnt recover from it and he lost.....fact......RV was not 100% until unadilla as we all see now, so it is what it is....you cant say " i had them covered" half way through the series......look what happened....
@ bigtireguy,,, well said, I agree.. I'm not much of a Reed fan ( I think he whines to much ), but you do have to give him credit. Also, RV did step it up towards the end of the year like someone else had metioned. He did what he had to to win, just like he did in SX.
It´s east to say "what if". What if Dungeys bike hadn´t let him down and dnf? What If. Then RV would have been 2nd.
Runka,, then RV would have shifted into 3rd gear instead of 2nd ....
I didnt and don`t fling sh*t as far as racers go im neutral RV`s an animal. B4 the beginning of the season most had him dominating the series. I figured Cr ,he always rides to the level of his competition , and this will be the same. I did not, think at the end of the season he would have more moto wins than RD & well he had 4 overalls not sure what RD had. And when CR beat RV by 30+ seconds which is amazing he`ld back it up where RV didnt other than the won time ,thats why the 20 pts lead, right, and did RD ever finish outside of the top 3 other than the dnf or the moto when he started half a track back. He rode the best but as in 2years prior he got handed a gift when #377 had a dnf. This year it got him. Reed spoke up to the moment, of "the crash" it was awesome.It just bothers me when people bag on a great racer & Reed is a great racer ,his career backs that up. Like baggin on Pourcel for quitting yamaha because the bike was to dangerous to him. People tore em up ,Hahn later in the season does the exact same in the middle of a moto ,no problem. People take it personal,keep that off the track . Really baggin on Reed. I think Villopoto got beat by Hearlings @ the MXon right thats not so good ... oh im reading mxmofo you have to give Reed credit why because hes the most accomplished racer,[not personality] on the gate. How many titles does K-Dub have ? yeah we all like him tho ,how couldnt ya. And thats why people dont bag on him. And by the way quotes of every racer are edited we don`t know them ,at least most dont. Andrew Shorts portrayed as mr nice guy and I have a friend that retired about 3 years ago that well he had I think 2 sx podiums & he says Shorts a prick on and off the track. Judge a racer for racing,unless its J-Law .. million dollar talent & a tent cent brain. Hope the kid turns it around ,quick. Looking forward to next year already sx is just kind of a filler for me the event coming up should be interesting tho. This site seems to be more about attacking who they don`t like than it is about racing
Oh my!!! Trucker....grab a drink man....you're all over the place!
Guys, Reed said he,"felt", like he had them covered. He didn't say that he had them covered- big difference between the two statements. Trucker, it's hard to follow your post without some puctuation, just a thought.
I don't think Reed meant any disrespect. And you have to be confident or else why line up to race? But I do think that the Ryans stepped it up in the second half of the season, especially RV, and I think it still would've came down between the Ryans. I agree with what RC always said about Reed during the televised SX races where he said Chad can will himself to win. When Reed gets a good start and sees the win in sight, he just finds a way to go faster and be a hard guy to catch/pass. I think that first moto at MXDN was proof of that.
You guys can say what you want about Reed but he's not going to go away. Kinda like Mike Larocco, he's was always there.
On another note did anyone notice how tight the racing was except for the last moto RV walked away. the other motos 1 through 10 were all close and racing hard. IMO
When's the big Vegas Race? are we going to have to pay for that too!
Moto: well put
Not to start a fight here or anything.......but has anyone noticed how little Reed gets chirped on this website now that the JS7 has been gone for a bit? Maybe they've stopped coming on here as much or something. Because if there is one thing a James Stewart fan likes it's to sh*t talk Reed and blame things on him.
Retardcross,,, Are you saying Reed is an innocent victim ??
Moto - my thoughts exaclty...Reed seems to step it up whenever he is in in position for a win, he is a great racer and I respect that..... at Pala I thought that wwould be the case ala Vegas SX togo out with a win, but he kind of blew it...after Pala he still said he had "millville-itus" and then a week later after a win at MXoD he says he finally got over it.....
I dont think Reed was trying to disrespect any one either for the record....just odd he says one thing when he is behind in points and another when he is the guy in the lead....Like he said during SX when RV was in the lead " oh, I guess we should just cancel the rest of the races now " in response to RV's growing point lead....then you look at him basically saying he had the series (had them covered) at the halfway point of the MX series....so should we have cancelled the rest of the MX series before Milleville......Reed contradicted himself...that is all I was saying.
Bottom line is #2, #1, and #22 stepped up big this year. These fellas put on one hell of a show, and we have been in need of for a long time and all we can hope for is that no one gets hurt and these fellas keep rollin to the line with everything they had this year. Why bag on any of these riders, I am not a huge #7 fan just due to the fact that he doesn't ride MX but that don't mean I can't wait to see him line up. I think everybody on here owes these fellas a big ass thank you and not just rippin on them for some stupid quote!!
Good Luck to everybody in 2012, I can't wait for the season to start back up!!
@ mxmofo..........Nope, not at all. They all have their high and low moments. Reed just always seemed to be an easy scapegoat for a certain group of fans to deflect the attention from their own favourite rider's constant lack of judgement.
Did Reed ever beat anyone with a big name for a championship?
Defense rests
@Claxton-- that is a really dumb question. He won the "US Nationals" and a couple Supercross titles here in the States and you ask a question like that?? Why, becauise RC retired before he won, Rc retired before Stewie won his titles too. He won the most prestigues supercross title in the world, and you ask that question.
And alot of guys forget, he lost his best friend to a motocross crash not very long ago, and has witnessed first hand the devastation that has had on Andrews wife and child, after losing thier father. And now he is a father himself, with a family. And he takes a ride like he did in Milleville, and you guys wonder if it really slowed him down or bothered him?? You guys are nuts if you think it didnt. And about him saying he had the Ryans covered, at the time he kinda did.
Trend Killer, Reed had a good lead, and had just ran down and passed RV, so why wouldnt he believe that?? And you have no clue how the rest of the season would have gone if Reed had not had the big crash, because he may have pulled away and ran along just like that the rest of the season, NOBODY can no that.
Reed is a great rider, but he is gonna catch the same hell from me that some other riders would catch for making a statement like that!! He was leading the series at that point due to some inspired riding in the early races AND due to a lack of fuel in RD's gas tank!!! The Ryan's were both coming around at about the same time as Reeds crash. It is accurate to say "who really knows" what would have happened if he hadn't crashed, but at the same time it is accurate to say that champions find a way to recover from such things and he never did. He was impressive early on in the season though, no doubt!!
wow,you guys are the poop, you guys are the know and go. you guys speak the truth, the one and only truth. you know it , you stow it, but you never blow it. all here in this comments section are mx stars. Listen here, and wonder why you and every one else sucks.
@trendkiller - Reed said "he felt like he had them covered" not "I had them covered".
Slight difference you might say but a significant difference. It was a feeling, a feeling he had them covered. He didn't make a statement that he had them covered.
I havent read one column since the MXON that hasnt commented about the rainy slick conditions and how much of a disadvantage that put the U.S. at? Does anyone know where Villopoto is from? Washington state probably rains more than any other state! Dungey is from Minnesota. Tons of rain and snow in those two states. I bet the two Ryans have spent thousands of hours in the muck. They were born and bred in the rain so what are we talkin about.? Team USA should have had the advantage if u ask me.
BD200: this time I fully agree with you, good comment man!
You guys all suck,
Reed sucks
and the Fench definately suck big time.
@ bd200,, I think Claxton was asking if Reed ever beat RC or JS for a chmpionship..
After reading again you guys are right. He did say he "felt" like he had them covered. Which is different than actually saying he did have them covered. I just don't like how he starts out by saying "no disrespect to the Ryan's" Usually when someone starts out a comment like that they are just trying to cover their a** because they are going to say something stupid. I guess I just don't know if he should really feel that way. The UPS guy that comes into my work is a huge Reed fan and I am not. I don't dislike Reed just not a fan. For the first half of the season he came in all smiles and rubbed it in that Reed was leading. I kept telling him that later in the season when things came down to it that Reed was really going to have to push his limits to stay with the Ryan's. Which in my OPINION (key there is MY OPINION) is why he crashed like he did. He was on the edge trying to get out in front of RV at the beginning of that moto and it was too much for him. That is why I disagree with him feeling like he had them covered at all. He is right there speed wise and he is really consistent but I think both Ryan's have that little extra that they can go to. As far as all the weird stuff that happened this year, its hard to say what if on anything. So what if RD's bike doesn't run out of fuel. Now he has the points. But what if that changes the mentality of Reed and RV2 and something clicks for them. The what if's are lame. There is always an argument in every direction for what if's.
NOBODY ever beat RC for a championship except McGrath, he is the only one, so you can throw that out there to every other rider who never won until RC retired. It was still a dumb question. Reed beat everyone who lined up against him that year for a title, it is all Reed can control.
Hey BD200, Reed opened his mouth with the I think I had them covered comment. In his entire career he never had RC or JS covered in fact he was their drum to beat on. He has yet to cover RD or RV in a series also, like Johnny Unitas always said, Talks cheap.
Claxton, you are correct.. bd200 seems to be forgetting that Reed has never beaten JS for a championship either.. Funny how that gets left out, isnt it ??
Don't get me wrong, Reed is a fantastic rider and I love it when he's out there. But, the few poeple that won't admit he's never beaten RC, JS, RD, RV for a championship, gets on my nerves.
Right, Reed himself "felt" like he had them covered...Translation: I think I had them beat, or I thought I was going to win, they were not going to beat me
- So he is basically saying in his own mind, he would have won the title when he was only up 16 points (not 20) at the half way mark.....I think its funny considering when he was down 20+ points in supercross he said " it aint over until its over...anything can happen".....he is whining....
Didnt Reed just beat Stewie in supercross this year?? YES!!! And you guys semm to forget Stewie NEVER beat RC for a title either... And Reed probably did feel he had them covered, he was winning.. Duh!!! What is he supposed to say?? Haters!!! And what is it with the "people wont admit" crap. I dont care if he never beat RC for a title, so what!!. I said he won the most prestigous supercross title in the world, and "other guys" play it down because RC wasnt there.
@Trend KIller, how is Reed saying "Anything can happen" whining?? Would you rather he say, "Well I'm down points, so I guess I will call it a season"??? You guys kill me. If it was Stewie, you guys would be kissing his bean bag...
i didn't mean he was whining saying " anything can happen"....when he was saying he felt he had them covered and he was 20+ plus points and bla bla bla...he was probably whining like he always does cause he lost...... I read in another interview, he was basically throwing a temper tantrum after the final moto in france and just wanted to go home....until he found out AUS made the podium.....and whats with taking a shower between motos..its motocross dude....go root your team on dude
bd200,, yes he did, but not for the championship, right ?? I am fully aware that JS never beat RC for a championship,,, but the FACT reamins, Reed never beat EITHER ONE OF THEM, and now you can include RV and RD also...
More excuses from Reed. He needs to take it like a man. I didn't hear Dungy crying "i had them covered until I ran out of gas".