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Deegan is good. Real good. But 450s will be the real test. Everything is different. When he goes up I really hope he eventually gives Jett and Chase a real good challenge
He could only wish he has that good of a career. I’m sure he will start an only fans in a year or so and make millions off the guys from here….
I think he's a better MX rider than Barcia was on the 250, but he might be inferior to Barcia on SX. Time will tell.
To clarify on my post I made earlier in this thread, he’s like eli becuase the way he rides, even though he’s not as much rough around the edges and revving like he used to, which is fine because he’s still exciting to watch. Obviously, haiden and eli are on two different ends of the spectrum on the podium, but I think haiden will mature as he gets older, still a bit of trash talking, but with more humbleness, if not, I am ok with that, he will learn.
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Haiden is an elite athlete. Barcia was never that. Haiden doesn’t show much of his training program due to secrecy, but he trains at very intense levels and I guarantee his VO2 max is one of the highest in the sport. He’s also oddly acrobatic and cat like so he has a unique ability to not get hurt in crashes that would sideline most guys. Barcia is more like an old school dude from the early 90’s that I could see throwing a dip in before and after the race. Deegan the rider reminds me A LOT of a young RC, while Deegan the person is just like his dad. If you close your eyes and listen to Brian’s ‘97 LA Coliseum podium speech, it’s Haiden.
In some of the 6 starts (including heat races) we've had this year, Haiden was way better than his competition, and some other races he was definitly not the best or fastest (like last week main event for example). I am not sure he yet showed the potential of being able to contend with the best 450's when he moves up... yet. Sometimes his speed is there and he adapt the track well or not even it's the track that have the good conditions for him to go all out. But it is not enough, you've to be fast and analyse the track in every conditions (sleepery, rutted etc), and Haiden seems like he can't translate that pace on every ground so far.
The other big issue I can see, is that he is emotional, very emotional, maybe too much ? If he doesn't win when he is expected to, he is feeling very low, when he is winning he feels very strong. I think it is important to let his emotions aside sometimes to have a better analyse of what is working or not working maybe. When you're feeling that low when you get beaten, how does it translate when you go againt Jett, Chase etc and giving you're best will not be enough for first but good for a 3 rd or a 4th ? Hard to accept when you've been winninh you're entire life rather easily.
I think in the end it's good for Haiden to be challenged, you can't be the best and the fastest every night, even when you're suppose to be the best 250 rider against a field that is not the deepest.🙂
I have a little bit of a different perception. I think that you could just as easily replace the term "emotional" with "passionate".
Someone that has a passion for winning is not going to take 5th place well, particularly just moments after it happens. Then use the loss as motivation, taking the lemon and making lemonade.
As far as speed ??
Last week in San Diego, he got another bad start, shaking out about 8th and then rode to a miserable 3rd place, holding serve on the time interval between himself and Beaumer. So this means they were pretty equal in lap times.
This has been the ONLY time that Haiden wasn't clearly faster than Beaumer.
NOPE
Btw, I should have put this in my original post.
I wasn’t saying HD38 being the next JB51 was a bad thing, I think it’s a good thing because JB51 has had an amazing high level career with multiple 450 wins and the sport needs a bit of a villain. But, I do not see HD38 being the next CS4, JL18, ET3 as much as I want another one for competition sake. To get to that level Deeg’s will have to change a lot including his out of control emotional swings.
From what I hear Barica can smoke most folks on a bicycle so I’m sure I agree with your take.
Has he roosted the Paramedics yet?
Uhh Barcia was in the 250’s and still is in the 450’s an elite athlete. Thats a funny take tbh.
VO2 Max wins races ?
Some of this I get, some I don't. The comparison of mid-air revving is definitely there, along with overall aggression. I do think their style is a little different (IMHO), Barcia seems to whip, a lot as part of his riding style, not really for flash, but sometimes a wide bike, sometimes scrub, it gives the appearance of a really aggressive (on the bike) riding style, but he still has smoothness too. Haiden (again, IMO) has more of a Tomac style of beating his bike into submission around the track, his suspension gets a real freaking workout. And I know Deegan makes aggressive passes at times, but he can pass without putting people on the ground too, Barcia has a body count there that will be tough to beat and I do not think Deegan makes takeout passes as a lifestyle.
Barcia has had a really vanilla year so far, his intensity is not what it was in the past. I know we like to pick on him for his aggression, but when he is on it, he is fun to watch (I guess like Deegan too really), hopefully this is not the beginning of his racing sunset.
Not many remember that move.
I think the speed is definitely there for Haiden, but the biggest difference between him and Beaumer this season has been mistakes. While they haven’t necessarily cost him too much, Haiden has made a lot of mistakes, Crash in the main at A1, Crash in San Diego, Near crash in qualifying and the heat race at A2, etc. While Beaumer I’d argue has less cutting edge speed compared to Deegan, he looks a lot cleaner and more in control. Excited to see how that pans out over the course of an entire championship
Obviously he's nowhere near as good, but his riding style kinda reminds me more of Ricky: A lot of dabbing, and paddling, body english, and just grabbing a huge handful everywhere and dealing with the consequences as they come.
AGREED on the riding style. That's exactly who he reminded me of in the "futures" and ever since.
I've listened to his peers that have raced a lot of races over many years and won many Championships, like James Stewart, Chad Reed, Ryan Villopoto, Jeremy McGrath, ect., speaking very candidly about him on these podcasts, and they say he looks to be the best prospect to come along in a long time and they cite his work ethic, talent, speed, grit and determination as being stellar.
Small critiques about his pacing approach and his techniques but quickly dismissing it with a grin because he is soo young and still new to the professional ranks.
Oh,..and not a single negative word about how he interviews or what he "says".
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Most of the guys who have raced at a serious level in the sport get it and they like Haiden. Same with a lot of industry folks.
The haters are typically folks who wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the SX tracks ,let alone on one. lol
How stacked is that really though? Aside from barcia baggett and Roczen……no offense to the other riders
In interviews on press day before A1 Haiden was saying he thinks “Levi was scared” and in the Vital post race interview he said Julien Beaumer is “in over his head” trying to battle him. I’m at work so I can’t go grab the exact quotes but he starts drama with riders that don’t care for it.
See for yourself if you missed those races.
My feeling from what I've seen, is that Brian has always reveled in and encouraged the competition "head games" going back pretty far at the youth level.
Here's 2011
How many 250 sx wins? How many 250 sx starts.
Most great 250 sx rides get more wins in one season than Deegan in almost 2 and a half seasons
Barcia is a training animal lol. Might be the fittest guy out there.
Are you and I watching the same rider? Haiden has refined his riding quite a bit since he first went pro.
lolololololol...
I don't interpret or perceive it as "starting drama"
If it seems dramatic and he is able to get an emotional rise to the point of "drama", then I would say that it's more about the person allowing such trivial, verbal jousting to carry so much weight with them.
Stuff like that is "tongue in cheek" to those who aren't extremely thin skinned.
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