Breakdown: Motocross of Nations

We have to ask… What’s your take on Alessandro Lupino’s first turn track cut and subsequential penalty?

Anytime you have a penalty handed out like this, there is going to be controversy. The subjective nature of it opens the door to anyone with an opinion. Remember, this penalty was handed out mid-race. Things were unfolding by the second and everyone was trying to absorb the ramifications and act accordingly. Ten positions is not a small penalty but cutting that much of the track was not a small offense. Once he went off the track in turn one, the sign boards along the re-entry area forced Lupino’s hand somewhat, as it would have been difficult if not impossible to get on the track any earlier. But he also was very aggressive in where he re-joined. There’s never going to be a perfect answer, but I don’t see anything out of line here.

Glenn Coldenhoff put nearly all the blame on himself for The Netherlands losing. Do you think he’s correct or being too hard on himself?

He’s taking the blame which is admirable. I do not believe he should solely shoulder this, though. The MX2 rider is often the most important factor in this event. They typically suffer on the start and are mired mid-pack throughout the day. The difference between fighting up to 10th or struggling to 20th can easily make the difference. Dutch rider Roan Van De Moosdijk did not have a good day (18-20) and I would argue that was more critical in this scenario. Glenn’s 15th in the opening race didn’t help anything and if you want to point fingers for the first turn crash, so be it. His third in the final race gave them a chance, though. I appreciate the maturity on the part of Coldenhoff but I think Moosdijk’s day was much more impactful. Whether success or disappointment, the MX2 result in this event is typically an overweight reason why.

Hardest question: Give us a rough estimate of where you think a USA team of JustinBarcia, RJ Hampshire, and Chase Sexton finish at this race given the conditions.

I truly believe the race would have been wide open. It was a very high scoring MXoN. Anytime you have variance at that level, anything goes. Often times, a country dominates and leaves a vacuum of excellence in its wake (USA 2007, France 2015, Dutch recent years also). This was not that type of year. Every team had to use a score that they would consider unappealing before the day started. I don’t really have a hard estimate of how things would have went, but I do believe the door was open to a good day with how crazy the results were.Of course, the muddy conditions are part of the reason we saw so many struggles for all the teams, and Team USA would not have been immune to this. If Barcia was able to utilize his mud skills and post two podium scores, anything was possible.

Which rider or nation shocked you with an underperformance on the day?

Not so much on an underperformance level but I was truly shocked at how France’s afternoon unfolded. After race one, they had a commanding lead. I was ready to hand them the trophy! That good fortune was short lived, though, as their afternoon unraveled completely. With Tom Vialle’s mechanical issue starting the slide, it just wasn’t meant to be for the French Federation.