Roger Decoster stepping down as USA team manager

7/31/2025 9:37pm

This is gonna be a hot and controversial but I think Tony Alessi would make a great team manager.

You know he would give 100% and leave no stone unturned.. everyone that rode for smart concepts did well, and they all said great things about the team.

My first vote is Mitch, but I do think Tony would be a solid choice.


“There is a drug ring inside mx sports!”

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Herr Lich
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7/31/2025 10:12pm
This is gonna be a hot and controversial but I think Tony Alessi would make a great team manager.You know he would give 100% and leave...

This is gonna be a hot and controversial but I think Tony Alessi would make a great team manager.

You know he would give 100% and leave no stone unturned.. everyone that rode for smart concepts did well, and they all said great things about the team.

My first vote is Mitch, but I do think Tony would be a solid choice.


“There is a drug ring inside mx sports!”

Although this is moot because they have a new manager I think they'd be better not getting someone from a team. It should be someone without any links to the teams. Roger's links to KTM in particular didn't help when dealing with other teams during the MXON. 

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Spoonguy
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8/1/2025 4:40am
Spoonguy wrote:
Thank you for all your service RD. It has been a goid run. But that being said, thank God. Confilicts of interest were just too prevalent...

Thank you for all your service RD. It has been a goid run. But that being said, thank God. Confilicts of interest were just too prevalent, nobody can deny this.

plowboy wrote:
I don't believe Roger was ever prejudiced against a rider or team.  If they were the best choice they got asked.Did he he make it easy...

I don't believe Roger was ever prejudiced against a rider or team.  If they were the best choice they got asked.

Did he he make it easy to pick a rider from his team if the top choice had difficulty answering the call...no fucking doubt.

And guess what...even with the bullshit he had to put up with...we ALWAYS sent the best team that could and would.   Roger made sure of that.

You rock on with yer bad self Roger...you da MAN.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough. The appearance of impropriety was too prevalent. I never stated he acted upon anything.

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Tumic
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8/1/2025 5:11am

I have said it for several years now that Zacho would be a great option here.

He is a beloved level headed guy that raced both GP’s, AMA, MXdN and ISDE, so he got plenty of experience regarding those kind of events and tracks.

He got great connections all over the world and is really open minded compared to some of the other names that have popped up here. 


His heart is really in this event, and he clearly showed it the last time it was held in Holland when he went over a couple of weeks early to test bikes and train compared to many riders that just fly in on the Thursday before the race.


With all the complaining about Roger being a team manager/highly ranked KTM person today, why should he be replaced by a Kawasaki team manager in the name of Mitch Payton?.

Keep the MXdN team free from persons with connections to teams in that sense and let at this person like Zacho or J-Bone step up for the job. At the end of the day it’s the riders that make the job on the track for the results so i really don’t get the persons that flame DeCoster for US lack of results the last decade.

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The Shop

ricky racer
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8/1/2025 5:20am Edited Date/Time 8/1/2025 3:30pm

I wonder if Prado can borrow a Gas Gas to ride to represent Spain on. LOL!! 🤣 Between his issues with the Kawasaki and Kawasaki's lack of interest supporting American MXoN riders, it might be his only chance. 

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Cook441
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Fantasy
8/2/2025 2:15pm

Dungey....if hes down

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8/2/2025 2:56pm

So many terrible ideas on who should take over the manager role. Just because a guy is fast doesn’t make them a good team manager. That role needs to have good connections and have experience managing a team. 

Dungey, RC, Stew, KW, RV and Zacho are all fast but know dick about managing a team. Don’t even bring up guys from the 80’s and 90’s who don’t have the slightest idea about racing in this generation. 
 

Mitch Payton would be my number one. Paul P would be my second choice (but I think he said he is out unless I misinterpreted that from the Renthal Reaction podcast). As much as I don’t like them, I think Brian Deegan and Tony Alessi would do a good job too.

We need a good manager, not a mascot for the team. They will all be there regardless to help in getting the guys pumped and for photos when the US ends up winning it again this year. 

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8/2/2025 3:05pm
Tumic wrote:
I have said it for several years now that Zacho would be a great option here.He is a beloved level headed guy that raced both GP’s...

I have said it for several years now that Zacho would be a great option here.

He is a beloved level headed guy that raced both GP’s, AMA, MXdN and ISDE, so he got plenty of experience regarding those kind of events and tracks.

He got great connections all over the world and is really open minded compared to some of the other names that have popped up here. 


His heart is really in this event, and he clearly showed it the last time it was held in Holland when he went over a couple of weeks early to test bikes and train compared to many riders that just fly in on the Thursday before the race.


With all the complaining about Roger being a team manager/highly ranked KTM person today, why should he be replaced by a Kawasaki team manager in the name of Mitch Payton?.

Keep the MXdN team free from persons with connections to teams in that sense and let at this person like Zacho or J-Bone step up for the job. At the end of the day it’s the riders that make the job on the track for the results so i really don’t get the persons that flame DeCoster for US lack of results the last decade.

He works for Beta now, so that throws that out the window according to your logic. But I agree he would be a good fit.

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8/2/2025 3:16pm

Tp199? Who doesn't love that guy?

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PTshox
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8/2/2025 4:26pm

RJ and Wardy... together. 

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OldTech
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8/2/2025 5:11pm

who ran team USA before Roger? 

plowboy
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8/2/2025 5:28pm
OldTech wrote:

who ran team USA before Roger? 

Lol.

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plowboy
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8/2/2025 5:33pm

Broc Glover is unbelievably qualified and deserving of this job.  The dude is a walking encyclopedia and as far as I know...is respected by everyone....probably even Hannah.

I'd love to see him get this honor...even if only for a couple of years.  He's a first class human.

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OldTech
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8/2/2025 5:37pm
OldTech wrote:

who ran team USA before Roger? 

plowboy wrote:

Lol.

It was a serious question, does anybody have a list and the stats?

OldTech
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8/2/2025 5:48pm

Was Bevo not team manager one year?

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plowboy
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8/2/2025 5:53pm
OldTech wrote:

who ran team USA before Roger? 

plowboy wrote:

Lol.

OldTech wrote:

It was a serious question, does anybody have a list and the stats?

I gave it a quick search.  No joy on team manager from 1970, the first year for the US to field a team till 1980 when Roger got involved.  Most of our early teams were accidental or happen chance by yanks riding the GP's and already in Europe.  

I didn't know that Bimbo won his 1970 moto against 3 reigning GP champions....Roger being one of them.

RacerX has an archive of every US team and results.

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Tumic
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8/2/2025 11:29pm
Tumic wrote:
I have said it for several years now that Zacho would be a great option here.He is a beloved level headed guy that raced both GP’s...

I have said it for several years now that Zacho would be a great option here.

He is a beloved level headed guy that raced both GP’s, AMA, MXdN and ISDE, so he got plenty of experience regarding those kind of events and tracks.

He got great connections all over the world and is really open minded compared to some of the other names that have popped up here. 


His heart is really in this event, and he clearly showed it the last time it was held in Holland when he went over a couple of weeks early to test bikes and train compared to many riders that just fly in on the Thursday before the race.


With all the complaining about Roger being a team manager/highly ranked KTM person today, why should he be replaced by a Kawasaki team manager in the name of Mitch Payton?.

Keep the MXdN team free from persons with connections to teams in that sense and let at this person like Zacho or J-Bone step up for the job. At the end of the day it’s the riders that make the job on the track for the results so i really don’t get the persons that flame DeCoster for US lack of results the last decade.

tmauto769 wrote:

He works for Beta now, so that throws that out the window according to your logic. But I agree he would be a good fit.

He is a brand representative, more or less a influencer. I would not put that at the same level as a team manager with personal interest. 

Just like RC is with Triumph or RV with Yamaha. 

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Elliot
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8/3/2025 12:25am

Ex pro riders are fine but a team manager's function goes well beyond just focusing on the riders. He has to be able to handle budgets, plan and manage travel & logistics etc. Managerial experience is essential. 

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tomm55x
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8/3/2025 4:01am

Roger probably is getting tired of fielding sub par teams for the last 10 to 15 years. When the top guys are available and you have to take thomas covington and Jake Whiner there is something wrong and the chances of winning are slim to none.

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8/3/2025 4:51am
tomm55x wrote:
Roger probably is getting tired of fielding sub par teams for the last 10 to 15 years. When the top guys are available and you have...

Roger probably is getting tired of fielding sub par teams for the last 10 to 15 years. When the top guys are available and you have to take thomas covington and Jake Whiner there is something wrong and the chances of winning are slim to none.

Didn’t Weimer do well? Apart from wearing jeans on the podium haha

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tomm55x
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8/3/2025 6:37am

Idk I don't remember lol ,  not really bagging on them, more so my point is that we continuously do not get the best riders available for this event.  What is the point if we are not sending the best we have. I give props to the fellers that volunteered and went though. 

Herr Lich
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8/3/2025 2:00pm
TheMilkman wrote:
So many terrible ideas on who should take over the manager role. Just because a guy is fast doesn’t make them a good team manager. That...

So many terrible ideas on who should take over the manager role. Just because a guy is fast doesn’t make them a good team manager. That role needs to have good connections and have experience managing a team. 

Dungey, RC, Stew, KW, RV and Zacho are all fast but know dick about managing a team. Don’t even bring up guys from the 80’s and 90’s who don’t have the slightest idea about racing in this generation. 
 

Mitch Payton would be my number one. Paul P would be my second choice (but I think he said he is out unless I misinterpreted that from the Renthal Reaction podcast). As much as I don’t like them, I think Brian Deegan and Tony Alessi would do a good job too.

We need a good manager, not a mascot for the team. They will all be there regardless to help in getting the guys pumped and for photos when the US ends up winning it again this year. 

Yeah, sweet idea. Get the guy that stopped his son going two years in a row and clearly has no interest in the MXON beyond the clicks and his own self interest. What a patriot. As for Alessi, ah...no. 

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Nairb#70
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8/3/2025 2:48pm

How about Bob Hannah?

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wreckitrandy
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8/5/2025 4:41pm Edited Date/Time 8/5/2025 4:46pm
plowboy wrote:

Lol.

OldTech wrote:

It was a serious question, does anybody have a list and the stats?

plowboy wrote:
I gave it a quick search.  No joy on team manager from 1970, the first year for the US to field a team till 1980 when...

I gave it a quick search.  No joy on team manager from 1970, the first year for the US to field a team till 1980 when Roger got involved.  Most of our early teams were accidental or happen chance by yanks riding the GP's and already in Europe.  

I didn't know that Bimbo won his 1970 moto against 3 reigning GP champions....Roger being one of them.

RacerX has an archive of every US team and results.

We sent a team the year Mikkola beat Hannah. '79 maybe. Hannah at the height of his powers. No clue as to who was team manager. The only other team in the 70's that I vaguely recall had Lackey and maybe Pomeroy on it. Can't recall the others. They had a really good result it seems like.

Honda11
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8/5/2025 5:05pm
tomm55x wrote:
Idk I don't remember lol ,  not really bagging on them, more so my point is that we continuously do not get the best riders available...

Idk I don't remember lol ,  not really bagging on them, more so my point is that we continuously do not get the best riders available for this event.  What is the point if we are not sending the best we have. I give props to the fellers that volunteered and went though. 

Our top guys are focusing on supercross by that time of the year.  They're not worried about an exhibition race because SX is where the money is at.  

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8/6/2025 11:05am

Pelletier is not gonna have the job for long. Not winning this year on home soil and bye bye. 
 

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8/6/2025 11:45am

No one in the history of our sport has had such a more impactful career than Roger-like, not even close. After the mic drop moment of running away from the field in his last ever GP at 36 years old, he had already had a profound influence on MX in America in coming over in his prime to grow the sport in the US, knowing full well it was the market for the biggest growth potential. He advanced the sport itself, the development of the bike, and brought the US riders to a point where they had usurped the European riders for a time. Roger took KTM to unprecedented heights in record time. No one will beat his MXON success over his career as a rider and team manager. The "Man" as a title doesn't do him justice. The guy is a flat out beast.

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peelout
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8/6/2025 12:21pm

ah fuck it, i'll do it

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