Posts
2468
Joined
3/20/2019
Location
USA
Not saying Eli isn't in good shape...but it appears he is not in Tomac 'beast mode' shape. He was flying for about half the race and commented, 'I have to do better in the 2nd half of the race.'
So guess he is still not there yet...or maybe he won't ever be? Kind of makes me think he is not planning to do the Nationals. It is for sure much harder to be in great shape at 31 compared to 20.
His lack of fitness has been handicapping him since the season opener.
This makes sense about why jett pulled 8 seconds on him. I hope he can get into shape for outdoors, the ones that he will be doing, I still wish it was all of them.
I'd guess it's more just been a combo of not ever having that bike fully dialed in, being away from racing for 7 months and being unwilling to hang it out that last fraction of a percent. Jett certainly is and it almost cost him a few times last night. No matter what, I'm stoked he's out there. As a Tomac fan the first few laps were awesome.
I am also stoked he's out there and racing, saw him win the 2022 mx championship in person, heart broke in denver(i wasn't there). Absolutely stoked when he won st louis. Met him at the LA Coliseum, I think I told him thanks for coming back and i saw him win the championship in 2022. I also made the team fried video and anderson sprayed me with champagne.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
A year ago everyone would be talking about how Eli waisted everyone else, there is one thing new this year...
Two new things. Jett and post injury Tomac.
It's like trying to capture lightning in a bottle or whatever that saying is. Riders and their bikes are a dynamic thing, always changing. That's why 2022MX with Sexton and Tomac was so amazing. We'll probably never get to see peak Tomac race Peak Jett. Hopefully we get peak Sexton back to give Jett some competition.
Hell yeah
His "waistline" expanded?
I think he had the fastest lap. So it did look like he lost the energy. Still a great ride.
Yeah
It's so secretive, he may have been under the weather this week for all we know. Might be why he seemed stoked with second.
ET3 did post the fastest lap of the main at 49.456 to Jet's 2nd fastest lap of the main at 49.734.
No Idea why Eli has had so many off nights? maybe 3 young children at home?
Please Eli, Race the entire outdoor series!
Or 6 months off the bike from a fully ruptured achilles maybe… smh stop acting like nothing happened and he just lost a step
You’re living the dream brother!!!
He was aggressive but really rough last night. Inconsistently bouncing around the track.
So one day he's fully fit when he wins but when he doesn't he lacks fitness?
He's been like this since the Kawi days, he has weird Eli races, it's always been upstairs for Eli.
He has not been fully fit since last year. Not sure where you get your info. Best to check things out before you start shit talking someone.
A few weeks ago
Pit Row
Doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, if you absolutely send it the first half of the race to try to get away from Jett, you’re going to get tired in the second half.
He looked great. Always in control. Avoided some crashes in front of him. Nice flowing lines. Jett was faster. Jett watching Tomac, and Roczen lines. Capitalized on there mistakes. End of race. Not much reading into this. It’s just a race.
Having the fastest lap in the main means nothing. It's just 1 lap that usally comes early in the race. The winner can usally keep a lower lap mid to late in the race when the tracks destroyed.
IIRC, Tomac was making up time and closing the gap on Jett pretty consistently during the heat race. Then he did ok in the first part of the main, but couldn't sustain. Seems like the speed is definitely there when he's feeling "on". Fitness? Not so sure as to the OPs comment.
It means the speed is there. That's what it means. And while it doesn't determine the winner in any individual race, it is a good barometer on where a rider is with the bike set up, rider talent, etc. It's a valuable metric.
Sometimes that's how that step gets lost.
Clearly, Eli was not able to keep that pace the whole race. He even said so. IMO when you can't run 100% for the entire race you are not where you need to be fitnesswise. The Triple Crown motos were shorter.
The fastest lap time shows he still has the speed. He is actually doing great considering the injury, time off, and being 31.
I agree with you that he is doing great, but I wonder what he would say on the nights he got 6th, sure he may have had an injury, but how much did that truly effect him and why did he feel that 6th was enough even though its not what the fans want to see.
Didn't Matthes say that Eli told him last week something along the lines of if he doesn't think the chance to win is there he is not going to send it?
To me, it is pretty clear that Eli isn't at his 100% prime fitness level that we saw from him 2017-2020 & 2022. Historically, he's always been able to match, if not better, his best times during the later stages of the race. In several full-length main events this season, he's slowed down pretty significantly around the halfway point. The only race that truly looked like old Eli was Arlington... he was charging harder than anyone else in the field until the final lap.
I am going to post a theory that weege said on the pulp race review. What if Eli, Webb and Kenny are going all out sprint or close to it in the beginning of the race to get away from jett. But when they do that, they will be so tired by the second half that jett just pulls away for a win. I think they are trying everything they can.
I think fans are taking Eli’s performance this year for granted and are being a bit too critical. That is a testament to what people expect from Eli, which is a positive takeaway.
Speaking as a former elite level endurance athlete, after a 6 month injury layoff it would have taken me 1yr minimum post layoff to regain my losses. This is a realistic rule of thumb at any age under say 40yrs old. Eli would need until next SX season to be in the shape he was pre injury. The human body builds very slow. Oxygen and heart rate capacity increases are slow to come back. It’s up to Eli if he wants to climb that mountain again.
Post a reply to: Tomac Fitness?