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If the season is cancelled...are there any 250 guys that fail to ‘point out’ and get to stay down another year? Another interesting dynamic of the current situation...
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
If things end now the two guys that would move up are Sexton and Ferrandis as they both will have won the East and West coast titles two years in a row. Sexton is already gone. We have know that. I’m sure Ferrandis will be happy to move up.
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And for the record, Hampshire is 24.
Larocco, Windham, Reed and Brayton have proved they could be as competitive at 35 than the youngsters.
It is a huge evolution for the sport compared to the 80s, 90s and years 2000s, where the riders were actually considered old from 25. Back in the day, many parents were concerned about moto careers for instance, they were thinking "yeah my son may make it but it will make a bit of money for what, 5 years ?". Nowadays, it is possible to make a much longer career, more than 15 years, then to stay in the industry as coach etc. That is a much better perspective.
He is forced to move up anyway, he won the title last year so he could only defend it once.
If the 250 class is meant to be a development series, then make it one by having an age limit and restrict modifications more tightly. If it's not a development series and it's a legitimate professional class, as it currently seems, then drop the restrictions and pointing out farce. You can't have it both ways.
Years ago, it was common to have smaller bike specialists and that was nothing to joke about, it was seen as cool, think Steve Lawson. While riders like Hannah and Dowd raced the smaller class after their mid 20s, no one ridiculed those guys.
Personally I'd love to see a full-on professional 250 class that does a full series along with a proper support/ development series with age and bike limitations for the regional titles.
Pit Row
There is a bit of a history of 'interesting' things happening to some riders when pointing out is a possibility. The report back then was that McElrath was hurt, right?
Is it fact or speculation that he wasn't?
Either way, I see the rest as a series of 'business decisions':
1). If TLD agreed to say he was hurt when he wasn't, so he could have another year, but didn't get him to sign on the dotted line then - business decision.
2) When TLD contract expires, Shane makes another business decision to do what he felt was best for his career & signs elsewhere.
How many interviews have we all read, where riders who weren't on a YZ250F talk about how fast those bikes are or how much HP they are cranking out?
It seems like the teams are immune from criticism for their business decisions so I try to give professional athletes the same leeway.
I think it took some courage for Shane to leave the familiar and try something different, albeit on the 'fastest' factory 250F (so it would seem). For whatever reason, what he'd been doing the last few years wasn't getting the results he needed. And with only 1 year left.....Well as I said, I never blame an athlete for taking what he feels is the 'best offer'.
TLD didn't do what was necessary to keep him - another business decision.
Which is another reason why I say 'It seems like the teams are immune from criticism for their business decisions so I try to give professional athletes the same leeway.'
There was a reason, or several, why Shane wanted to sign somewhere other than TLD. He is smart enough not to air the dirty laundry (if it even falls into that category).
And it could be that TLD would say - we have no idea why he left - or maybe Yeah there were a few things he wanted we just couldn't do. Who knows!
Another thing I've noticed is that very few want to burn a bridge. And I can't blame them - there are only so many brands of bikes to ride.
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