The word is officially out: Ryan Villopoto is leaving his Monster Energy Supercross Championship behind and will instead pursue an MXGP World Championship in Europe in 2015. Here are our staff’s reactions:
Davey Coombs: In a world where secrets are harder and harder to keep, this one was the worst-kept of all. Ryan Villopoto has been a dominant force on the AMA circuit since his rookie season of 2006. Now he's earned the right to end his career on his own terms. He's won multiple AMA supercross and motocross titles, not to mention the Motocross of Nations four times, and as he closes the book on his career, he wants one more challenge: an FIM World Motocross Championship.
Not every legend gets to choose how they end their careers. For some it happens quickly and sadly, with no chance for a farewell tour or great last race. For others, they can choose to make the most of that twilight, like Ricky Carmichael's well-done 2007 exit where he rode a handful of SX races and outdoor nationals, then rode off into the sunset after the '07 MXoN. Stefan Everts similarly stamped his career with a resounding 1-1 ride at the MXoN. And Roger DeCoster took his leave after winning the last GP of 1980.
Villopoto is choosing a much more difficult route, taking on a global adventure funded in large part by Monster Energy, which is the sponsor of the FIM World Championship, yet they haven't won a world title in either class in a half-dozen years of trying. Villopoto could be the game-changer, but only if the same bum knee that kept him out of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship this summer and SX in January holds up to the rigors of racing. Tony Cairoli, Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle and friends are extremely fast and competitive outdoors, and will fight hard to keep this lone American from taking over the MXGP circuit.
Here at home, the racing will go on. Kawasaki will try hard to replace the man who led the last eighty laps of Monster Energy AMA Supercross on his way to a fourth straight title. They have hired Davi Millsaps and Wil Hahn. As for the series itself, a new generation of superstars is already emerging, led by newly-crowned 450 Motocross Champion Ken Roczen, as well as Eli Tomac, Trey Canard, Justin Barcia, Jeremy Martin, Dean Wilson, Blake Baggett, Justin Bogle, Jason Anderson, Cole Seely, Cooper Webb, Adam Cianiciarulo, and many more. And don't count out the veterans Ryan Dungey, Chad Reed, and James Stewart, all of whom were main-event winners last season. They were all set to chase more #1 plates, whether Villopoto lined up or not.
But again, RV will be hard to replace. There's already a spot carved out for him on the Mt. Rushmore of Motocross; here's hoping he can add to a world crown to his permanent place in motocross history. Good luck, thanks for nine great years here on the AMA circuit, and enjoy this last hurrah.
Jason Thomas: Well, the day we all wondered about is finally here. I was a big naysayer of this rumor early on, but as it built momentum, I began to see the chips falling into place. There are so many factors involved in this move that I would need a thirty-page dissertation to explain it all. The main key, in my opinion, is that RV is burnt out on the pressure of American racing. He is the only rider in the current group of elites that has only one acceptable result, and that, of course, is winning. Anything less than a championship is considered failure, and that is a tough situation to face year in and year out. In fact, had his contracts ended in 2014, I believe we would have seen Villopoto retire just after Las Vegas SX in May. His contract is not up, though, and that leaves millions of dollars to collect. For RV, this left choices to make for 2015. Sure, he wants his guaranteed 5-10 million dollars, but he also doesn’t want to face another twenty-nine rounds of pressure-cooking. This is where the opportunity for Europe came into play. The GPs later start will allow Ryan to recover fully from his knee surgery and also allows for more off weekends during the season.
I think he sees GPs as being easier than the American schedule and rigor. I’m not sure that will be how this plays out, however. Going into the season without Aldon Baker, in a new country on a new team with new practice tracks and poor training, and different weather will present big challenges. The GP contenders like Cairoli, Paulin, and Desalle will all be more motivated than ever to keep the title in Europe. They will have huge chance to prove themselves, with the world (and America at large) watching closely. More telling, though, will be what condition Villopoto is in. This is the first season he will be without Baker, and we have all seen the track record associated with the South African’s strict programs. Can RV achieve the same fitness levels and mental fortitude that he has shown in years past? That’s the real question. I believe the Ryan Villopoto of 2011-14 could win the championship. But is that the Villopoto we will see on the starting line next spring? Time will tell.
Jason Weigandt: This move is puzzling just because of this fact alone: It's never been done before. Not ever. Yes, Brad Lackey was one of America's best in the 1970s, and he left to pursue a world championship, but that was before the American scene had launched into elite status. For a modern rider to leave at the very top of the biggest championship in the sport—Monster Energy Supercross—to try the GPs is completely unheard of. That alone should make this shocking.
But I think you can find some rationale in it. RV's burnt out on the pressure of the American scene and schedule. He wants to try something fresh and new. And, so many entities want to see him do this (Monster Energy and Kawasaki, for starters, who have not had the success in the GPs that they've had in the US, and also all those GP fans who would love to see RV in action). So this is kind of explainable.
But, we could make complete and total sense of this, if only we could get some real insight into the way Ryan Villopoto thinks and acts. Yet somehow after a decade of watching him race, with thousands of laps and thousands of interviews recorded, we still know very little about what makes the man tick. A few other riders have risen to this level, and each had obvious motivation and talent. Ricky Carmichael and Bob Hannah had an obvious burning desire. Jeremy McGrath, Rick Johnson, and James Stewart had a flair for the spotlight. Jeff Stanton and Jeff Ward live their life around training and hard work. Villopoto? We're still not sure. The stats and work ethic show that he wants it badly, but even when he wins a title, he acts like he doesn’t care. He's made huge history statistically, but he claims that he doesn't care about the records. If we knew what made Ryan Villopoto get up every morning and strap on boots and a helmet, we'd know for certain why he's doing this—but we really don't. And without knowing that, we don't know how this will go. Is he a trained mercenary hell-bent on taking another championship in a foreign land? A regular guy who wants a paid vacation? Is it a money grab? An ego stroke? A personal challenge? A fresh new start? And, more importantly, does he even really know himself?
Denny Stephenson: RV is going to Europe! RV is going to Europe! Its finally official! Ryan Villopoto is going to race the GPs and take on the world. Although I have to admit of the four Chevy Chase “Vacation” movies, the European one was my least favorite. I'd rather road trip with Aunt Edna, spend Christmas with Cousin Eddie and a weekend in Vegas with Papa Georgio than do another lap around the roundabout with the kids checking out Big Ben and Parliament. The lesson to take from that: Living and racing in Europe for an American hasn't been, isn't and ain't going to be easy.
In my opinion this is the most exciting and intriguing thing to happen in the GPs for years. I grew up watching Danny LaPorte and Brad Lackey win America's first world championships. Remember how long it took for Bobby Moore to become world champ? How shocking it was when Donnie Schmidt pulled it off? This is truly RV versus the world. If they won't come to us then our best will come to you.
I think Ryan has nothing really to lose and everything to gain by this move. He's going to have a former teammate in Tyla Rattray to help him a little from port to port. He's continuing on a Kawasaki. He's burned out on the intense U.S. schedule. All the power to him. As an American motocross fan I couldn't be more excited and I am 100 percent on the RV bandwagon for this adventure. So I'll say it now: Ryan comes home world champ after beating Cairoli, Paulin, Desalle, Strijbos, etc. on their tracks and their schedule. He'll round out his trophy case with that, and he will be the baddest American motocrosser ever.