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Since noone wants to take the bait, the US doesn't even qualify for the main competition at Trials des Nations.
It's not about equipment, riding area access, funding, team dynamics, video games, or younger generation BS.
It comes down to the fact that the US doesn't have enough quality events to develop world caliber trials talent.
The same could be said about Motocross. We may have the premier motocross national series but we don't have enough quality events to develop riders to get to that level.
What were some of the other countries who didn’t send their “first string” riders? 🤔
Australia - Hunter and Jett Lawrence, Cole Davies?
Germany - Ken Roczen, Simon Langanfelder?
Japan - Jo Shimoda?
He’s looking to balance out the bike advantages in MXGP. The AMA rules are wildly more production based. He feels that they get to use works bikes with lots more custom and hand made parts and would like to offset that by running the better AMA fuel. It’s a viable discussion. But won’t ever happen.
He sent Kitchen right? What am I missing?
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There’s plenty of evidence around that GP bikes aren’t the exotic full works machines that they used to be.
Australia hadn’t had a problem winning MXoN the last two years on AMA spec bikes.
Canada. We went from sending the B team to the C team.
I think there is a generation of US riders at or near retirement, burned out or relegating to SX only, and the next generation not as good as Anderson, Barcia, Webb, Tomac with the exception of Deegan who doesn’t go. Even in SX you have to get through Kenny, Lawrence Bros and now Prado - soon Coenen and Davies - to get an American even on the podium.
And give credit to Farres and a resurgent Herlings for being fast as hell in MXdN. I don’t think it’s as simple as Americans focus on SX that’s why we aren’t good at MXdN anymore.
We could learn a lot from France -as well as how to ride and love hardpack tracks
This isn’t Vitaltrials.com
Pretty sure they could learn a lot from us. Sounds like it’s time to start stirring up that American spirit. It’s just a common thing to rag on America. We still sent our guys. Be advised, there were other countries I’ve listed who chose not to send their main guys. But since yall are intent on railing against America, just carry on I guess. Pathetic
Instead of looking at it that way, I'd like to give props to Latvia for kicking ass!
Great Britain got 7th btw, Latvia got 4th.
FWIW Australia got 9th, Germany 16th, Japan 22nd
America is the largest MX market in the world, with the most tracks, the most money, the largest national series, etc. on and on. And Belgium/Latvia beats us at MXoN. Laughable. Maybe Coombs running our amateur series isn't such a good idea? Euro riders learn to race in Europe and then race pro here seems a formula for success.
Belgium Netherlands Spain and Latvia federations funded their riders. Honda would’ve funded the Lawrences and Shimoda, but the Lawrences stated back in June that they needed “rest” and wouldn’t be going. Not sure why Roczen and Shimoda bailed?
Where is all the outcry from Australians, Germans, and the Japanese?
No need to dis Latvia. Seriously, what do you actually know about Latvia?
"Australia - Hunter and Jett Lawrence, Cole Davies?"
I'd support that team, come on Cole, your Australian passport awaits!
Lmfao he’ll be walking this back when his team nami 450 isn’t exactly perfect in every single condition but do you Chase
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When Zacho and Anderson raced in Lommel they had an option to race the GP bikes. They tested them and settled for their AMA spec bikes.
Different is not always better. The GP works bikes is getting blown out of proportion right now. They are more pre-production bikes than the ultra advanced bikes we saw in the 80’s.
For example Febvre won his GP title on a stock framed Kawasaki and the US fan base are trying to make it sound like he was on a space ship while Prado raced a bicycle.
As you said, the Lawrence’s have done a pretty good job for years now displaying that the US spec bikes got more than enough to win.
The problem for the US riders is that they are just training on perfectly groomed tracks with good traction, ”softer” bumps on their tracks and never race real sand.
So when the Des Nations is held in Europe the bikes are either to stiff and not used to the shitty hard packed conditions or deep sand that most of them have never seen.
So people don’t make this about the bikes.
US HRC’s support for MXdN has been awesome in recent years, but team Australia’s effort is also partly funded by our federation and a dedicated group who do fundraising all year. The organising behind the team makes the annual AMA shit show laughable.
Meanwhile there was no outcry from Aussies about the Lawrence’s decision because they announced it early and we greatly appreciate theirs and Webster’s previous service. No one here ever dreamed we could win MXdN, so they more than earned that year off.
By contrast we also ended sending a ‘C’ team and I never heard one person bag on them. Cheered them all the way through and despite some bad luck, still got top ten. Very happy with that.
Supporting whoever is there is what it’s all about, or should be, and all with no whinging about bike differences or scheduling disadvantages.
Perfectly put.
New bike sales, tracks and riders are booming the Northeast….upstate NY of all places!
This is why we should pick our riders now to get the bullshit over with and everyone is on the same page and prepared. Sorry Deegan never gets to go; he has earned that. 450 Chase and RJ, 250 Beaumer, Hymas and Kitchen injury alternates, Cooper Webb team manager. Base it on who has been willing to go before and performance, pretty sure a couple of these 5 will be on the short list in 8 months anyway. It would be nice to just avoid the shit show.
FFM, the french federation, puts 200k€ every year to help our riders and the team for MXON.
I guess the point might be : how much do the AMA fork out to help the US team?
And yes, last year Febvre won MXGP title on the production Kawasaki frame. They ditched the works frame after 2023.
Reading through all these post….some valid points….sadly the USA does not have any riders that specialize in outdoors any longer….everything is SX now…or you don’t hold onto your ride very long….appears the US riders just try to survive the outdoors then back to SX ….its a shame, as outdoor Mx is the foundation of our sport…so this race is basically another GP with 3 Americans jumping in…. ….maybe now that the world SX has folded, the monster super duper Sx clown show can go away and give these guys some down time…maybe even time to prep for the MXON….? And RC can take some more english classes at billy goat community college….
They are both competitions where nations field a team to determine who is the best on an off road motorcycle.
If the US was winning trials des nations or ISDE, then we could try to adapt similar programs to win MXdN. Likewise, if the US is always losing, then not replicating a losing program would be advantageous.
I've said it over and over again,
Once you're over here racing in the United states of America, you're an American motocross racer.
Your country of origin doesn't matter to me at all.
Best Hash in the world.
An interesting question to ponder is how Spain, a country of 50 million people with a percapita GDP of $38k (vs US $90k), has become such a force in motorcycle competition in the last 20 years.
Lebanon?
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