Coop/Aldon

hartebreak
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So we all know Coop left Aldon and has now gone back either willingly or reluctantly. Has anyone else noticed that during interviews (podium or otherwise) that Coop just flat out doesn't list or thank Aldon? I know it's probably a small thing, but in 19 and 21, he seemed to thank Aldon in pretty much every interview and now it's like he is thanking everyone under the sun other than Aldon. Again, probably making mountains out of mole hills, but it seems awkwardly obvious at this point. 

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2/13/2023 4:57pm

Could be that podium speeches have changed, the whole 250 class didn't list a single sponsor which is nice.

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Magoofan
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2/13/2023 5:13pm

Thanking all the sponsors/trainers by name has gotten pretty insincere and lame.

A simple thanks covering everyone should suffice. 

 

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2/13/2023 5:20pm

At least he can thank some of them.  Other riders can't thank anyone.  They just can't.

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Spoonguy
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2/13/2023 5:29pm

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

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The Shop

Muttly
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2/13/2023 5:50pm
Spoonguy wrote:

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

PEDs are expensive.

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davis224
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Fantasy
2/13/2023 6:45pm
Spoonguy wrote:

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

He mentioned it multiple times when he called into Pulp, he didn't seem shy about it.

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Bradshaw Fan
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2/13/2023 6:47pm

Safe to say he can't win with out Aldon Baker?

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JazzyJJ
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2/13/2023 7:04pm
Spoonguy wrote:

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

Muttly wrote:

PEDs are expensive.

They're really not. Maybe designer stuff that Olympians take but even hgh and such isn't really that expensive for a pro athlete.

Jrey2
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2/13/2023 7:24pm
Spoonguy wrote:

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

davis224 wrote:

He mentioned it multiple times when he called into Pulp, he didn't seem shy about it.

News to me. Elaborate some if you don’t mind, seems interesting. 

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2/13/2023 8:27pm

At least he can thank some of them.  Other riders can't thank anyone.  They just can't.

"“What a night, this was hard earned, and I want to thank myself"

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brettmx
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2/13/2023 8:47pm
Spoonguy wrote:

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

Muttly wrote:

PEDs are expensive.

Knowing how not to get caught is what you pay for. 

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mx313
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2/13/2023 8:51pm
Spoonguy wrote:

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

davis224 wrote:

He mentioned it multiple times when he called into Pulp, he didn't seem shy about it.

Jrey2 wrote:

News to me. Elaborate some if you don’t mind, seems interesting. 

When he was talking to pulp he said 1 of the reasons he left bakers was the cost. He thought he knew what he needed and could take the program else where for free.

When shit went sideways ktm/decoster wanted him back to bakers. He said he wasn't going back if he had to pay.

He ended up getting ktm to pay bakers cost out of their pocket. So webb riders at bakers for free.

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Money
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2/13/2023 11:29pm
davis224 wrote:

He mentioned it multiple times when he called into Pulp, he didn't seem shy about it.

Jrey2 wrote:

News to me. Elaborate some if you don’t mind, seems interesting. 

mx313 wrote:
When he was talking to pulp he said 1 of the reasons he left bakers was the cost. He thought he knew what he needed and...

When he was talking to pulp he said 1 of the reasons he left bakers was the cost. He thought he knew what he needed and could take the program else where for free.

When shit went sideways ktm/decoster wanted him back to bakers. He said he wasn't going back if he had to pay.

He ended up getting ktm to pay bakers cost out of their pocket. So webb riders at bakers for free.

hell yea good for coop. aldon makes more than most these riders out there. and to decoster and ian he walks on water 

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Mavetism
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2/14/2023 2:19am

At least he can thank some of them.  Other riders can't thank anyone.  They just can't.

"“What a night, this was hard earned, and I want to thank myself"

"I really can't thank myself"

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Joey Bridges
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2/14/2023 3:27am

"“What a night, this was hard earned, and I want to thank myself"

And when it gets right down to it,  that's how it is for everyone out on course. 

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McG194
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2/14/2023 4:50am Edited Date/Time 2/14/2023 4:50am

I was standing next to Aldon for a few by the podium and plenty of people congratulated and thanked him including Webb. Aldon was pretty damn excited with the win. 

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johnk408
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2/14/2023 6:38am

So how does the Aldon situation work now? I thought the KTM group paid for his services? Or do they just pay him a retainer to only work with their riders and it is up to them to decide if they want to pay for his services? It must not be cheap and I know his facility gets results, but sad a trainer makes more than most of the riders making mains in SX.

8tensolutions
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2/14/2023 6:45am
Jrey2 wrote:

News to me. Elaborate some if you don’t mind, seems interesting. 

mx313 wrote:
When he was talking to pulp he said 1 of the reasons he left bakers was the cost. He thought he knew what he needed and...

When he was talking to pulp he said 1 of the reasons he left bakers was the cost. He thought he knew what he needed and could take the program else where for free.

When shit went sideways ktm/decoster wanted him back to bakers. He said he wasn't going back if he had to pay.

He ended up getting ktm to pay bakers cost out of their pocket. So webb riders at bakers for free.

Money wrote:

hell yea good for coop. aldon makes more than most these riders out there. and to decoster and ian he walks on water 

Not sure what you mean here.....he left and his results went far south, then he went back and now he is close to the front/winning and 4 points from the red plate.

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fourfourone
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2/14/2023 7:07am Edited Date/Time 2/14/2023 7:10am
mx313 wrote:
When he was talking to pulp he said 1 of the reasons he left bakers was the cost. He thought he knew what he needed and...

When he was talking to pulp he said 1 of the reasons he left bakers was the cost. He thought he knew what he needed and could take the program else where for free.

When shit went sideways ktm/decoster wanted him back to bakers. He said he wasn't going back if he had to pay.

He ended up getting ktm to pay bakers cost out of their pocket. So webb riders at bakers for free.

Money wrote:

hell yea good for coop. aldon makes more than most these riders out there. and to decoster and ian he walks on water 

Not sure what you mean here.....he left and his results went far south, then he went back and now he is close to the front/winning and...

Not sure what you mean here.....he left and his results went far south, then he went back and now he is close to the front/winning and 4 points from the red plate.

I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear that the bike had set up issues last season. The thing could barely get through the whoops. Now we have AP setting the fastest time through them. Fitness aside coop looks way more comfortable on the bike and his super quick inside turn speed is back. 

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8tensolutions
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2/14/2023 7:14am
Money wrote:

hell yea good for coop. aldon makes more than most these riders out there. and to decoster and ian he walks on water 

Not sure what you mean here.....he left and his results went far south, then he went back and now he is close to the front/winning and...

Not sure what you mean here.....he left and his results went far south, then he went back and now he is close to the front/winning and 4 points from the red plate.

I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear...

I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear that the bike had set up issues last season. The thing could barely get through the whoops. Now we have AP setting the fastest time through them. Fitness aside coop looks way more comfortable on the bike and his super quick inside turn speed is back. 

Bikes always evolve, but KTM told him to go back and everything improved even the second half of last season. Webb clearly needs/benefits that level of structure. 

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JazzyJJ
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2/14/2023 7:34am
johnk408 wrote:
So how does the Aldon situation work now? I thought the KTM group paid for his services? Or do they just pay him a retainer to...

So how does the Aldon situation work now? I thought the KTM group paid for his services? Or do they just pay him a retainer to only work with their riders and it is up to them to decide if they want to pay for his services? It must not be cheap and I know his facility gets results, but sad a trainer makes more than most of the riders making mains in SX.

As I understand it they pay him a retainer to only work with KTM group riders. The riders then pay him a fee. There's been no official word on who is forced to go train with him and who is not, but it seems like unless you're a past champ you have to train at his place. JA was the first guy to go off on his own while riding for them and it was kind of a shock to them at the time. 

-MAVERICK-
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2/14/2023 8:22am
I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear...

I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear that the bike had set up issues last season. The thing could barely get through the whoops. Now we have AP setting the fastest time through them. Fitness aside coop looks way more comfortable on the bike and his super quick inside turn speed is back. 

French interview with DeCoster from late January 2023.

Translated a question from the interview.

Interviewer: Cooper Webb is having a near perfect start to the season, he said a lot of work has been done on his bike and ...

DeCoster: "(he cuts off) We worked a lot on it, but the bike is finally much closer to the first version at the beginning of last season. We did a lot of re-testing and Cooper got lost. When we started working on the new bike in September, October 2021, everything was great and everything was fine. The rider was happy. We had the first race in Anaheim in 2022 with a lucky second place I would say. It gave a false information for the rest. Cooper was not physically ready. He started looking for reasons and excuses. He focused mainly on the bike and didn't understand that it was his fault in the first place. He started complaining more and more. It was like a cancer in the team. The other riders were affected, the mechanics were affected and it went all the way up to the factory. He didn't know what was good or bad on the bike anymore. Cooper likes to say that we changed the bike. So yes, we went around and around in circles for the modifications. But I can tell you that the chassis of the bike is exactly the same as it was at the beginning of last season. Exactly the same... For the past two months, he's been working with Aldon Baker again. He's close to where he was two years ago. Not 100% yet, but he's almost there and it shows on the track."

Personally, I think they had a lot of issues with the bike last year and they've made progress with it this year. All the riders complained about the bike in different interviews last year, so it wasn't just Webb. They made progress throughout the season and Marvin eventually won a main event. 

That said, I don't doubt fitness was an issue with Webb in 2022. He was getting burnt out at Aldon's, went his own way and didn't take it as seriously. Now he's 100% back on the program and it's showing. 

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Philly215
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2/14/2023 8:47am

That’s interesting about the cost thing. I had assumed that with him being exclusive with KTM that they had some deal worked out and KTM footed the bill and it was part of the contracts. 
 

I think I had read something years ago that it was $300k for a season to be at Aldon’s. Don’t know if that’s accurate or more now or what, but unless you are one of the elites of the sport that seems out of reach. I wonder if there’s a cost difference between 250 and 450 guys. 

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fourfourone
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2/14/2023 8:52am
I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear...

I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear that the bike had set up issues last season. The thing could barely get through the whoops. Now we have AP setting the fastest time through them. Fitness aside coop looks way more comfortable on the bike and his super quick inside turn speed is back. 

-MAVERICK- wrote:
French interview with DeCoster from late January 2023. Translated a question from the interview. [Quote]Interviewer: Cooper Webb is having a near perfect start to the season, he...

French interview with DeCoster from late January 2023.

Translated a question from the interview.

Interviewer: Cooper Webb is having a near perfect start to the season, he said a lot of work has been done on his bike and ...

DeCoster: "(he cuts off) We worked a lot on it, but the bike is finally much closer to the first version at the beginning of last season. We did a lot of re-testing and Cooper got lost. When we started working on the new bike in September, October 2021, everything was great and everything was fine. The rider was happy. We had the first race in Anaheim in 2022 with a lucky second place I would say. It gave a false information for the rest. Cooper was not physically ready. He started looking for reasons and excuses. He focused mainly on the bike and didn't understand that it was his fault in the first place. He started complaining more and more. It was like a cancer in the team. The other riders were affected, the mechanics were affected and it went all the way up to the factory. He didn't know what was good or bad on the bike anymore. Cooper likes to say that we changed the bike. So yes, we went around and around in circles for the modifications. But I can tell you that the chassis of the bike is exactly the same as it was at the beginning of last season. Exactly the same... For the past two months, he's been working with Aldon Baker again. He's close to where he was two years ago. Not 100% yet, but he's almost there and it shows on the track."

Personally, I think they had a lot of issues with the bike last year and they've made progress with it this year. All the riders complained about the bike in different interviews last year, so it wasn't just Webb. They made progress throughout the season and Marvin eventually won a main event. 

That said, I don't doubt fitness was an issue with Webb in 2022. He was getting burnt out at Aldon's, went his own way and didn't take it as seriously. Now he's 100% back on the program and it's showing. 

It's weird to see Aldon blame coop for all that. It was evident that the new bike was off at first. Mookie who is arguably one of the best in the whoops, lost a ton of speed on the new chassis at first. 

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2/14/2023 8:53am

Does he personally pay Aldon for his services?

if so, he doesn’t owe him a Thankyou. 

I think that is a really good point.  Especially on the podium where there is about a one minute slot to thank all the people who are sponsoring "paying".  Why should they be left out?  Is Aldon special above the paying sponsors or something?  

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Tyler D
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2/14/2023 9:20am Edited Date/Time 2/14/2023 9:22am

aldon just came out with a line of bicycles. the pics of the guys standing over their bikes and of aldon riding are a little...weird? theres a pic of aldon and his new bike leaned up against one of those hideous notchback AMG SUV coupe thingies. add the mindfx and arm pumper stuff aldon came out with...honestly i think Coop prob sees aldon as a bit of a money-chasing narcissist and just doesn't jive with him. Coop is a nobullsh$ kind of dude. prob not into the rah rah stuff and just wants to focus on his own headspace with carlos at his side as the only confidant he really needs.

downvote me i guess, but aldon prob cramps his style and i prob wouldn't blame him. 

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Magoofan
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2/14/2023 10:37am
I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear...

I don't think Aldon is the only reason coops back on top. KTM clearly has made huge progress in bike set up. It was pretty clear that the bike had set up issues last season. The thing could barely get through the whoops. Now we have AP setting the fastest time through them. Fitness aside coop looks way more comfortable on the bike and his super quick inside turn speed is back. 

-MAVERICK- wrote:
French interview with DeCoster from late January 2023. Translated a question from the interview. [Quote]Interviewer: Cooper Webb is having a near perfect start to the season, he...

French interview with DeCoster from late January 2023.

Translated a question from the interview.

Interviewer: Cooper Webb is having a near perfect start to the season, he said a lot of work has been done on his bike and ...

DeCoster: "(he cuts off) We worked a lot on it, but the bike is finally much closer to the first version at the beginning of last season. We did a lot of re-testing and Cooper got lost. When we started working on the new bike in September, October 2021, everything was great and everything was fine. The rider was happy. We had the first race in Anaheim in 2022 with a lucky second place I would say. It gave a false information for the rest. Cooper was not physically ready. He started looking for reasons and excuses. He focused mainly on the bike and didn't understand that it was his fault in the first place. He started complaining more and more. It was like a cancer in the team. The other riders were affected, the mechanics were affected and it went all the way up to the factory. He didn't know what was good or bad on the bike anymore. Cooper likes to say that we changed the bike. So yes, we went around and around in circles for the modifications. But I can tell you that the chassis of the bike is exactly the same as it was at the beginning of last season. Exactly the same... For the past two months, he's been working with Aldon Baker again. He's close to where he was two years ago. Not 100% yet, but he's almost there and it shows on the track."

Personally, I think they had a lot of issues with the bike last year and they've made progress with it this year. All the riders complained about the bike in different interviews last year, so it wasn't just Webb. They made progress throughout the season and Marvin eventually won a main event. 

That said, I don't doubt fitness was an issue with Webb in 2022. He was getting burnt out at Aldon's, went his own way and didn't take it as seriously. Now he's 100% back on the program and it's showing. 

Wow....kinda shocking to see Roger throw Webb under the bus like that.    It seems to me that when Cooper does get to complaining/blaming mode, there is a very real reason.       Have rarely seen him publicly blame anyone/anything other than himself. 

Of course Roger is going to defend the product (bike).    

 

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-MAVERICK-
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2/14/2023 11:07am
Magoofan wrote:
Wow....kinda shocking to see Roger throw Webb under the bus like that.    It seems to me that when Cooper does get to complaining/blaming mode, there...

Wow....kinda shocking to see Roger throw Webb under the bus like that.    It seems to me that when Cooper does get to complaining/blaming mode, there is a very real reason.       Have rarely seen him publicly blame anyone/anything other than himself. 

Of course Roger is going to defend the product (bike).    

 

In a recent video with SwapMotoLive, Webb practically said the bike was shit last year. He's been vocal about it in interviews.

The biggest problem was himself. Maybe it's pride, maybe arrogance, I don't know, but looks like he came to his senses.

Everyone gets in a slump at some point. 

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2/14/2023 11:22am
Spoonguy wrote:

It's not like Aldon works for free. Cooper said one of his problems with the program previously was financial issues.

Muttly wrote:

PEDs are expensive.

Not really, the expense is paying the guy who helps you pass the test. 

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