Qualifying for the Motocross of Nations takes place today in Italy. Behind Cooper Webb, Jason Anderson and Alex Martin, Team USA hopes to end a four-year losing streak this weekend.
On Friday, Steve Matthes grabbed a few minutes with Team USA team manager Roger DeCoster.
Racer X: Coming back here thirty years later, I know you’ve been asked a ton about this, but it’s kind of cool. It’s kind of special.
Roger DeCoster: Yeah, it is. The team that I did with Johnny [O’Mara] and David [Bailey] and Ricky [Johnson] just kind of set the tone for the Team USA. Also seeing what they did, they’re really drawing the past to try to build this event bigger and all that. They did a lot of work. The track is good. I think our riders are really motivated to do good and want to work as a team and do whatever it takes. They’re a very young team and only Cooper [Webb] has done one before, so we have two guys that have never been on a Des Nations team. But I have a good feeling about them. I have a feeling also that most of the teams maybe underestimate us a little bit. I hope that is the case and that we can prove them wrong.
It’s been one of those things where win or lose, I’ve talked to you after this race for a number of years, four years of losing. But really it’s not been one thing or another that’s caused Team USA to lose. Like last year, France just rode great. Another year Barcia falls in the first turn. It’s been different things.
Yeah. The year before we had a broken front wheel. We also cannot forget that the European teams are good. I think there’s a renewal in Europe. I think our champions, our top guys are as good as any of the Europeans but I think there’s more depth for the moment in Europe than there is here in the US.
Something you have mentioned to me too, we devote a lot of time to supercross in America.
Yeah, supercross is definitely the priority in America—the priority on the team side and on the riders as well. It’s the championship that gives you the most attention, the most reward, the biggest bonuses and all that. For the factories they all look at American supercross as the number one dirt bike sport in the world, as far as the promotional value.
When you pull Alex Martin or Jason Anderson tomorrow, or maybe you already have, first-timers at the event, you’ve been here 100 times. What advice do you tell those guys? What do you tell newcomers? Is there any kind of things you’ve told the same spiel or the same speech to guys?
One thing that I always emphasize is not to try to be different because you’re at Des Nations. Ride the way you normally ride. Race the way you normally race. Just pay attention a little bit on the different style of riders when you’re in a close battle with them. You may not know exactly what each guy does, so give yourself a little bit extra room maybe. Never give up. That’s the common, every year.
Starting gate picks, do you know how that’s going to go yet?
There’s a drawing tomorrow. [Ed Note: Saturday]
Which guy gets which gate? You’ve alternated strategies over the years.
I need to see what all the riding, all the stats are going and then decide how everybody feels and the riders. But we talked a little bit about it already and they’re willing to do whatever we think is best for the team.
