Author: Matt Walker

This week in The Breakdown we’re focusing on the infamous sand section from a week ago in Phoenix. Adding sand to a supercross section does not make it that difficult for the riders. However, adding a sand section like the one in Phoenix was tough because it was constantly turning. The track in Phoenix was very hard packed so the riders would have chosen a hard packed front tire, that tire combo makes riding in sand feel like ice, constantly wanting to "tuck" or " push."

Let's look at some pictures of what went wrong for some, but right for others, in the sand section at Phoenix.

 

Mike Alessi
Mike chooses to sit in the air over the roller at the end of the sand strait. After the roller was a hard right. I like what Mike does here because when he lands this he will have better control than if he was standing. His body and head are centered and that is what you want in this section.

Photos: Andrew Fredrickson

Trey Canard
The first thing I notice about this picture is his feet. Look at his toes. When you’re jumping into sand like this you want your toes in flush with the bike. If they’re pointing out it’s very easy to have your foot ripped from the bike when you land.

Martin Davalos
Martin is way to far crooked in the air here. Look how his wheel is turned and his body is shifted. This causes the weight to be unevenly distributed to the pegs causing him to be sideways when he lands. If he had approached the roller more from the outside this would not have happened. He came to far inside and "handcuffed" himself, causing this to happen.

 

Matt Walker is a former professional motocross racer that now focuses his time and efforts on training the best up-and-coming amateur riders in the world. Walker has recently been approved by the state of Georgia to open one of the biggest motocross academies in the country. The new academy is scheduled to open February of this year. For more information on the academy and Matt Walker’s schools visit his website www.schoolofmotox.com.