Edited Date/Time
6/10/2022 6:23am
This was talked about a little bit in the MXGP race thread, but I think it needs its own area for discussion.
On Saturday the promoters decided not to fix the start straight and first corner after the heavy rain. This led to a massive crash that involved championship contender Jago Geerts in MX2. Many top MXGP riders then protested after they were told that the start still would not have any prep for their qualifying race.
Lewis Phillips did a great podcast with Seewer and Luongo both right after this unfolded. First hand accounts from Seewer and Prado do not paint a nice picture of David Luongo, surprise there.
The riders felt major disrespect, with Seewer going as far as to say "They don't fucking care about us". Prado and Jonass both mentioned that they felt like they were "treated like dogs" in the post-race podcast.
https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/203764776&af…
On Saturday the promoters decided not to fix the start straight and first corner after the heavy rain. This led to a massive crash that involved championship contender Jago Geerts in MX2. Many top MXGP riders then protested after they were told that the start still would not have any prep for their qualifying race.
Lewis Phillips did a great podcast with Seewer and Luongo both right after this unfolded. First hand accounts from Seewer and Prado do not paint a nice picture of David Luongo, surprise there.
The riders felt major disrespect, with Seewer going as far as to say "They don't fucking care about us". Prado and Jonass both mentioned that they felt like they were "treated like dogs" in the post-race podcast.
https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/203764776&af…
I think the situation is a lot like the night the lights went out in Vegas in 95, with a lot of the riders not riding to protest, rather than just the lights, the riders never stood together then, and the same shit goes on today,
until all the riders stand up, Insport, Feld and the other promotors will just keep feeding crumbs,
That was the Key issue that the riders were concerned with, and it was an issue ignored / not dealt with, by the powers that be.
Maybe Lewis talked to Luongo before he knew of that primary issue?
Seewer was fantastic in that interview, and took Lewis' repeated descriptions of him being a ringleader etc ( I'm sure, well hope, that Lewis did it in good humor) well, but I think he could have backed off on that labeling.
I know that the Luongos have ruled with an Iron Fist for decades now, often intimidating / threatening members of the Motorcycle Press / Internet, so can understand Lewis being Very careful with his dealings with the Son Of The Devil, but he should have put forward in the interview, to Luongo, the riders main concern, if he knew of it at the time.
Getting the overall was a perfect "up yours" to Luongo / Infront, by Seewer.
I do hope the vindictive bastards don't find a way to go after Seewer and the other riders who took a stand.
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https://gatedrop.com/seewer-gajser-prado-coldenhoff-on-saturdays-protests-rider-respect-and-safety
Can't remember if Gatedrop is the site people here won't go.. Do or don't no skin off mine haha
GPs are in a bad place at the moment.
[img=https://c.tenor.com/_BIfNDiEmNQAAAAd/crying-wiping-tears-with-money.gif]
As to the FIM Officials having power ? Yes, they are supposed to have it, but they tend to be very much part of Youthstreams - Now InFront's, but really Luongos (until somewhere in the 2030s?) control base.
Something to consider - whenever people bitch about the AMA's supposed 'control' over Motocross eg: the lack of capacity equivalency, rider penalties etc etc : the AMA will generally answer the rules are down to DC and Co.
Now, I truly believe DC and Co are genuine, caring Stewards of our loved sport, but Zod help the US Outdoors if ever the France Companies (I've gone blank on the name) , who Own US Motocross and some other MC series, 'sell' the control to someone else, or, keep it for Themselves. Just look at what happened to US Road Racing under their control.......
Wonder if infront will listen and try to act on the riders complaints , Or the riders will get a speech from a luongo junior with the tone of the elementary school principle ,
I think Seewer did a great job explaining how riders are affected and how they tried to make a statement. If everything goes on like this then we will have 15 riders in each class, especially if you consider a new global financial crisis.
Take a look at the signage around the track it looks around 6ft high thus blocking the view of the spectators. Signs take precedence over viewing. MXGP is a blue collar sport with a white collar goal. Look at nascar its losing its core fans the blue collar worker at an alarming rate due to corporate white collar influence.
We’re the 70’s 80’s and 90’s promoted by the clubs or a promoter in GP’s
You will always have top riders that make way more, but at least try to make sure that the riders from P15 to P25 make a decent pay that cover their expenses and have some food on their table.
We are lucky in Europe to have great businessmen like Wilvo, Standing Construct, F&H kawasaki. They are dropping much money into the sport without too much of an ROI at all
And the next 5 include Teutschenthal, Loket, Uddevala and Lommel.
Pit Row
As for the low entries, maybe we are also seeing the effects of corona on businesses & fuel price increases. I mean emx250 doesnt have the 1.000 euro entry fee and numbers are way down in that class.
Read the full story, you'll side with Luongo, without question. He's the man in MXGP.... if you take the time to understand how and why he does what he does.
https://www.mxlarge.com/news/giuseppe-luongo-interview-open-dialogue
And 'MXGeoff' has been his brown nosing propagandist for much of his reign.
Bugger both of them for the arseholes that they are.
20 /25 minutes of track prep with the equipment they had there, and the race would have gone ahead, Earlier than it ended up going off, and with the full compliment of riders. But no, Giuseppe's Boy and others, wouldn't do the better thing.
As for the "Know your facts guys" - the "F**k You" is part of the OPs heading of this thread.
You're there to perform, rain, hail or shine. They should not be grooming the track, maybe some mega ruts in jump faces, not the first corner... just ride it baby!
Then they spoke again in the start gate and still the people in charge didn't listen, and instead told them to go play golf. Listening to it happen live was embarrassing, how these people were looking down on the riders...
Old Luongo contradicted himself right at the first question.
Says the promoter has to stay neutral, and that dialogue is needed. Yet on the startgate, there was no dialogue. It was his "very smart" son who had a monologue on the line - "You are racing or DQ-ed", while the rulebook says otherwise (one lap in time practice is enough to be qualified). Not to mention the disrespectful tossing "go play golf", which along the lines is equal to a "fuck off".
Both Luongos are just pathetic ego-trippers, who could never climb down from their imaginary throne and say "we maybe fucked up also". Instead, the old dictator continued the "interview" (paid PR article) by bashing the riders, whilst uplifting the ass of his son and himself.
I can't believe they are trying to throw their own athletes under the bus. Trying to insinuate that the riders don't want to get muddy and that's the problem.
Post a reply to: Luongo says 'F You' to the riders in France