The Moment: MXoN
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 | 11:30 AM
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Fate had set up the perfect scenario for Christophe Pourcel. And fate took it away.
You’re allowed to say whatever you want about the Frenchman, and most of you aren’t saying anything at all. Pourcel has demonstrated the ability to run with the fastest riders in the world—his 250 Motocross duels with Ryan Dungey and Trey Canard come to mind—and yet, in the 27 Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross events he didn’t compete in, you didn’t hear much talk about him. In this sport, as soon as you’re gone, you’re irrelevant, and Pourcel didn’t do himself any favors in 2011 by sitting out supercross and dropping out of motocross after just two races.
But Pourcel still has incredible talent, and he finally found his old groove when he returned to Europe and won three of the last six MX1 GP motos, including the final moto of the year. Then came the Motocross of Nations in his home nation of France. As fate would have it, French MX1 entrant Steven Frossard—no slouch himself, as proven with his second overall in the MX1 standings this season—suffered a chest injury two weeks before the race. Pourcel came in as the sub in MX1, giving him one final chance to prove himself against the likes of Dungey, Ryan Villopoto and Chad Reed, the riders he was supposed to battle here in the U.S.
A rear wheel problem would cost Pourcel and Team France a shot at the overall.
Photo: Ray Archer
It didn’t come together for him at first, taking a distant third in the MX1 qualification race on Saturday, and a disappointing eleventh overall in the first moto on Sunday. But his team still led heading into the final moto. As they have done the last few years, the Americans mounted a rally in moto three, with Ryan Villopoto and Dungey getting out front early. But Pourcel, powered by a year of frustration, sensed his moment, and he seized it. He pushed to the limit, and made an early move on Dungey. With his French teammate Gautier Paulin way back after a bad start, it was up to Pourcel to try carrying his team to victory. V for victory, V for vindication.
It was not to be. A lap later, it ended, as the mousse tube came out of Pourcel's rear wheel, and his bike wobbled to a stop. He rode off the side of the track and dropped the bike in frustration. His race was over, and so was France’s chance to win on home soil.
It’s impossible to say how it would have gone, as Pourcel only completed two laps of what turned out to be a 19-lap race. Will he ever have another moment to prove himself against the likes of Dungey and Villopoto?
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I don't think he will.....
Barring some kind of disaster I see no reason why these guys wont meet up again in future "des" nations races. Personal opinions aside you cant deny he's an incredibly talented racer and if he can stay healthy the 3 will definitely square off again.
He is one of the few riders who can match RD/RV on talent. But he would have a tough time winning a title here because of his conservative championship approach, which is the norm in GPs. I bet he has success in Europe, redeems himself for his mistakes he made here in the US, takes the title away from Carioli.
Close call for the US.......the tire guy who installed the mousse must be a team USA fan.
its over for him in the states. He might win in europe though.
only pourcel can make unadilla look like a complete straight away. His line choice, plus his riding skills make him a solid contender. I still believe he's worth way more money than what he got. Why do tennis players and golfers sign multi million dollar contracts and a Motocross podium guy makes a couple hundred thousand (not counting bonuses). and the moto riders take WAY more chances than a pga golfer
Nice perspective Jason. Never a dull moment in the life of the (now coined) Enigmatic Frenchman. Motocross is a fickle sport by nature. Huge egos abound at the top of MX-Food-Chain, and CP377 over the 22 years he has been trying to stay on two wheels has wrongfully or rightfully developed a love him or hate him persona. Being of foreign blood doesn't help his case here in the good ole US of A either. There is more natural riding ability in that body than anybody on both sides of the pond. Right now people are reading this and saying, "You G.D. Frenchie Lovin Trader Mo-Fo" Yeh well, there is something about Pepe that wants me to see all that talent (not) go to waste. I think people love hating him more and want to see him fail, rather than see him succeed. I think if all you (dislike'rs) were a fly on CP's wall of life, you just may find out he is not so different than you or I, when it comes to putting on your riding pants. But then again, I have always been an under-dog aficionado myself. So, there you go!
All the best of luck to you, CP377 in your future endeavors.
I would guess CP will be back in the U.S., probably in 2013. But don't forget, in the first moto, he worked his way from 7th (maybe higher) back to 11th. Could he have put it to the 2 Ryans in that final moto, or would he find another reason to pull off the track? If his head's on right next year, I expect he'll top Cairoli, as he's not used to competition, as all the other good Euro riders are racing here in the states, the true world championships.
He just had bad luck in both motos.
In the first, he didn't get a good start but passed a handful of guys and got to Rattray's rear wheel and on lap 5 Rattray's roost cracked his goggle lens and roost continued to build up in his lens. He probably would have just stayed in 7th with that problem (because that is a track that you can't ride for that long with no goggles; extremely rocky), but when it started raining he absolutely couldn't see so he went in for new goggles.
A lot of people have made the argument that he is a p*ssy because they saw Reed, Dungey, and Searle goggle less but in reality, they tossed the goggles within the last three laps and rode around by themselves to avoid roost. Bobryshev, who also dumped his goggles got blasted in the face and DNFed that moto.
Pourcel, with an off season to work with his team and get more used to a 450, will be on par with the best in the world and one of the favorites for the world title.
Again, it's implied that France could have won if Pourcel won that race, which is not the case. If he won AND Paulin moved up at least 2 or 3 spots, only then.
He has a lot of talent for sure. I think it's his heart people question. Coming back from as serious of injury as he had shows me something. On the right team, he can run with RD and RV on any given lap, maybe a given day, but not consistently enough to be a title contender IMO. If he races in Europe too long, I think he'll lose that extra edge he'll need to keep with them.
France would not have won even if Pourcel got a 1st in the final moto, which he most likely would not have-The Moment was when the two Ryans needed to be 1 & 2 and did it.
Cp has never beaten Ac in a series when Ac was healthy, But it will 4sure be a great 2012 series both in gp s and us
One of my favorite riders to watch when he's on. I think he's still a contender for the championship in the GPs next year, but I think he's done in the US for Outdoors. I wish he would race SX though.
FATE or KARMA ?
Pourcel is no doubt a talented SOB on the bike.....When he first came to the US when he was 16 /17 you could tell he was going to be a threat and I actually rooted for the kid...the 2 outdoor titles he lost were heart breakers for sure......But the past year with all the MotoConcepts nonsense and his attitude, you have to wonder if its just karma....he was talking shit and being a punk to RV over in France....his attitude is just crap and now I cant stand him....yes he is fast but equally an ass......
Will CP ever have a chance to beat RV or Dungey ?
He did have 3 chances last week and maybe if he wasnt such a jerk he could have worked things out with Moto Concepts.....but he blew it....so maybe he just cant handle losing to those guys
The guy is really good, there is absolutely no denying that!! I don't think he is going away just yet either, last year was rough but i think if he gets things together he could still cause some trouble over here!!
yeah probably, but he'll blow it again and again
Now that he is dropping back a class (AMA to GP's) he might win a title. With all the Young guys coming to the USA the GP's will look VERY weak in a few years for sure. A World title will look like a "B" class title in the USA in a few years. .CP is very fast and you could argue he should/could have 2 lites title here.
.Treand Killer what kinda smak did he talk to RV??
He is kind of the soccer player in the tough sport of motocross.... I dont tolerate quitters. lets focus on the talent that is here (North America). So Long CP
@ EuroMike
Generally I don't waste my time with your posts....you're either an idiot or just some guy with a slightly warped sense of humor. Perhaps a little bit of both.
You said:
"Christoph Poucel would have smoked the two Ryans in the second moto had it not been for his tyre problem. He´s the fastest rider in the world today,"
In another post you say Roczen is the fastest rider in the world???
Never mind I think I figured you out after all ! You are an Idiot !!!
Damn, you got me there fella. Maybe I was refering to different classes?
EunuchMike- nuff said
nope
Pretty sure you put it like this:
"Say bye bye to your championship hopes if your name is Ryan, LOL. You yanks are gonna wish he´d never been born by the time he´s finished rewriting your record books."
Roczen looks to be a great talent and he did well on the 250 at MXoN.....but it wasn't even close to the shellacking RV put on them when he rode the 250 at MXoN......Just saying! Pretty sure the Ryans will welcome the presence of KRoc in the AMA....
@trendkiller --CP wasn't seriously talking smack to RV, he was engaging RV in friendly banter, the jacked up French way. RV knew he was just playin.
these whiney french riders are always good for a laugh. meanwhile, the men are over here putting in the work and winning ... EVERYTHING
EUROMIKE = TOOL
@euromike. Just out of curiousity, where are you from? Not insulting you(everyone else takes care of that) I am just wondering.
Wife is pissed that my 450 is in the kitchen.....life is good!!!!!!!!
CP's only chance of riding for anyone in the U.S. again is Mitch Payton. I think every other bridge has been burned and if they haven't, other teams still wont want anything to do with him because he's just a cry baby. Sure he has talent, no denying. But who wants to deal with him?
I like Poor-sell . Hes a talented rider who has had to overcome some bad crashes , injuries and luck. But in this sport 'woulda shoulda coulda' does not make for a great resume'. 3 good laps also does also not make beating RD a sure thing. Beating RV1 ..not gonna happen.
Can somebody explain how Pourcel is
A. A crybaby
and
B. Hard to work with
I think that fans and people in the industry treat Pourcel like he's Jason Lawrence just because he's mysterious and they make things up in their mind about who he actually is because he doesn't do many interviews.
Has Pourcel done any interviews that aren't candid and likable? Whenever I hear him talk about stuff, I think to myself, "Why does everybody hate this guy?"
I think it's very telling that the people who actually know him and have worked with him (Mitch and PC) have his back. Maybe he's not that bad.
@BobTheBuilder; That is exactly as I took there greeting at the autograph table. If anything, Pepe was paying RV a compliment regarding his comment, "You have won everything this summer."
Like I said, some people just can't find anything but BAD in Pepe. They will fabricate lies, just to spread their hate for, "Pepe le Piew." And I might add, there are people in life that I do not necessarily like, but I try to keep it to myself, as opposed to displaying negativity in public forums.
My National Pride aside, I respect CP. As far as the Moto Concept thing, I "think" that after riding for Pro Circuit,...it would be hard for CP to be satisfied with any other bike or team. It's obvious Pro Circuit builds the best race machines available in motocross. Think about it, if you drove around in a brand new A6 for a day, then drove a Jetta the next day, you would be kinda bummed on the Jetta.
@OrganDoner.. Very easy to answer... Tennis & golf players have a broader audience than a motocross series.... The sponsors willing to associate themselves with a tennis tournament or golf is not even comparable.
CP will most probably stay put in Europe.. Unless some crazy team manager or owner can convince their sponsors he's worth a try for the US..
A shame... He's a real talent.. Just a shi**y attitude...
come on man, in the GP's he had two DNF's in his first GP, he didn't go to Lommel, for whatever reason (tough track?), he came back and he didn't impress at all, then he started being competitive. But how many riders were out? When he won a moto, in the other moto he was not fast. The guy is super talented for sure, but a championship is long and in the GP's there are many fast riders, not just 3 or 4. Still he can win the championship, like he can win a National in my opinion.
Pourcel got his talent when he raced in europe, and he did find some of it again when he left US and returned home and got the time he needed to focus again.
I think if he race 2012 gp,s and gets back to full speed, winning the title or not, he will probably be back in the states 2013. Remember, CLS Kawasaki is own by Mitch payton..... Something to think about....
As some other learned individuals astutely pointed out, even IF (and I do mean IF) Pourcel could have won the final moto, USA would still be the victors. Talk about Pourcel's talent all you want - that's all well and good - but don't play the "if the mousse hadn't popped out, things would have been different at the des Nations" card, because that's a total crock.
Love to see the guy ride!!!!
Great talent, we can't forget he has been champion in the US twice, he knows how to ride a dirt bike!!!!
I don't really understand what happened last year with motoconcepts, maybe something we don't know... it was a strange situation for sure...
I think most US moto fans know that CP is a very fast rider with an effortless riding style. However, It's kinda hard sometimes not to question the guy's heart. How many times have we seen this guy pull off and quit a race a few laps in?
Mechanical DNF's are a part of racing and are gonna happen from time to time, but it's the other times where we didn't seem to be offered a legitimate explanation as to why he quit mid-moto that I question. Very few races go perfect for any rider, and as RC has said on many occasions "You win championships on your bad days".
Although, Dungey had a DNF for a broken chain and dealt with a few mechanical issues this year, you never saw him or Villipoto give up on a race unless the bike just couldn't roll around the track. Even after Reed parachuted over a table top this year while in the lead, he never gave up on that race and showed the US fans once again that he had the heart of a champion.