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**Disclaimer, Tomac superfan here**
I genuinely thought Eli had something for Jett at the beginning of the main, but he let coop by and then I feel like he just mailed it in..
Thoughts?
Sure, there was a title battle brewing and he wasn't in it. I think he was just being respectful as he would want others to be to him. He already cost him some points last weekend and with 3 races, he didn't want to cause an issue for the team. But that doesn't explain giving way to Anderson and Sexton so easily. Those two were riding like the race meant something to them. They both sent the message to Coop that he wasn't riding at a level he needed to. And Coop knows it. 100% on Coop.
The problem with age in the supercross setting is not that a 32 y/o is physically diminished from his 22 y/o self, its that he's smarter.
I think if eli doesn’t win, and isn’t in the race, he just rides at a comfortable pace and doesn’t care what the result is 4th or 10th is the same to him..
He laid up in the sense he gave Cooper a shot to go after Jett. He followed him until his fitness issue kicked in again. He is going to need to fix that if he plans on racing outdoors.
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Agree but it was more than just conditioning as he caught Webb again later in the race and didn't even try to pass him.
Once Eli 'let Webb by' at the beginning of the race it was over for Eli. He lost his drive and flow. He should have held off Sexton and Anderson but started making too many mistakes because his mind wasn't focused on going as fast as he could.
Now, with a 12-point gap for Webb I suspect we will see Eli go for it the last two races. Tomac easily beat Webb in the heat and last week...you know he would have beaten him in the main.
It was Eli 'company man' Tomac last night. Throw away race for Tomac. Lol, ok...move on to the next one.
At first i thought that he gave up and let Webb pass him, but when the rest came and passed im sure that what we saw is what Eli had last night.
^^this. Lost his flow when holding up after he let Webb by. No flow and over jumping in the rhythm section was a good example of this.
As race fans we had the top three riders leading the race. Jett poured water on that fire rather quickly and quietly rode off into the sunset. It did look like Eli removed himself from the Jett/Coop battle.
Take 2 steps back and watch from farther...
If Eli had something for Jett, he would've showed it. He DGAF about the points.
If Eli "let Coop BYE", he wouldn't have "stolen" 2 points from him last weekend when Jett and Coop started the race tied in points.
Eli didn't mess up the rhythm section multiple times to help Coop and other mistakes here and there due to mistiming or impatient with throttle combined with a very snappy bike on a slick track.
I've been saying for years. His bike set-up is hurting him and he needs a track that fits his bike/riding style for him to win these days. Philly wasn't it. I don't know how him, his team and his entourage are so oblivious on that matter. I called it the worst tuned bike (bike is fine. set-up is off) to ever win a SX championship tied with RC's 2003 CR250 and I'm sticking to it.
JS7 also said Eli's bike was off several times last year right? Then again, people always said Ricky had his bike set up terribly too.
Tomac clearly let Webb by him at the beginning and didn't even try to pass him back when he caught him again later. I think it was the right move though...giving Webb the chance to go after Jett.
Eli letting him by mentally ended his race IMO and it showed.
Denver most likely his last chance to get a SX win if the home state gives him a little extra motivation
Do you also think that having that much time off the bike and training due to iniury, the long season is catching up with him physically a bit ? He mentioned fitness this year, which I don't know if he's ever mentioned before.
If I'm completely off, feel free to let me know lol.
How much do you belive is setup and how much is Eli ower riding the bike?.
No 450 in the history have ever liked been ridden on the rev limiter and being handled like a 125.
Same with Barcia that ride around one gear two low around the track.
it’s not strange that some guys have problem to get the suspension to work.
A good rider often makes the bike look good. Not that Eli is slow, but he is far from smooth on the bike..
That is why he is racing outdoors. More prep to be sharper for next season. Eli said all along this was a rebuild year. 25 is his moment he want
100% how I read it. If Coop wasn't right behind him at the start of the main, he would have taken a shot at Jett. Once he let him by, he could care less if Chase and Ando went by.
This is it. If Eli feel someone is catching him and he can't hold it, he mails it in. If he can't keep up with Jett for example and are losing ground, he mails it in.
Have you ever seen post 450 SX champ Eli fight for a second or third when someone has caught him?
I think he definitely did to let Webb by. Then he couldn’t really hold a pace slower than Webb so he faded. He seems to not be the type of guy that can ride at a comfortable conservative pace and bring it home in the top three. Think back to Ironman 2017 where him riding conservative got him like 12th place or something. Most guys at his level are able to just tone it back a little. He doesn’t seem to be able to. Which is really not exactly a main attribute you need to be successful anyway. So it works for him and his career.
Pit Row
Eli use to push too hard and crash. Then he decided to not get out of his comfort zone and he wins less races, but has not crashed really since if substance. If you had a full bank account, with a wife and kids, and three races left in your long career and you cant win the championship what would you do. I honestly feel if eli uncorked beast mode he would have given jett a run for his money.
You forget when he went cartwheeling last year at Arlington(?) I think
I would think it’s maybe a combination of what DV has said regarding setup and plain old Father Time. I can’t imagine him changing this setup that drastically at this stage though. Those mistakes in the rhythm sections have always been there but he’s had enough strength to not wad and enough raw speed to make that time back up. I often wonder what his thoughts are when he goes backwards these races. As a fan it’s tough after watching him be the guy to uncork those crazy rides, but glad he’s still out there.
You could see the mismatch of Eli hammering the throttle and the bike sliding around on a slick track. Jett looks like he was more comfortable, rolling the throttle on and looking more in control. You can see the same in Webbs pass on Tomac; setup by Webb cutting down before a jump where Eli went wide.
Wonder how ET would do if he was still on his 22 model of bike?
True. But compared to the past, it has been minimal.
I believe kpiper has the correct take on this.
Yes - but not on orders from the team.
I feel that if he had the speed he would have gone for the lead but since he didn’t he let Webb by pretty easily. He was 6th in qualifying so didn’t have the best times on that track and it showed with ended up in 5th. Hopefully he has something more for the last two races.
Honestly if I was in my 30's (which I am) I would be perfectly fine earning podium money, playing it safe, earning some good money and going home to hang with the wife and kids. Who cares if some young kangaroo fucker wins every weekend
He definitely didn’t fight Webb for the position but I don’t think he was necessarily trying to help Cooper, if he could’ve passed him back I think he would’ve. Sexton and Anderson got by Tomac and he was nearly caught by Barcia. In my opinion he just didn’t have the speed, especially early on.
Hey DV, can you please stick your head in and tell these guys your thoughts.Do us all a favour.
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