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SweetDaddy
2/11/2019 5:33am
2/11/2019 5:33am
just ask Cooper Webb
3 wins on orange
0 wins on the other bike
3 wins on orange
0 wins on the other bike
It's not the bike, listen to Webb's interviews. He used to train at 70% but Aldon called him on it the first day. It took until half way through December before Webb could do the full workout for an entire week. Plus Webb has even said with the KTM he was changing too much and chasing an unrealistic feel. He decided that he was going to just ride the bike and adapt to the track conditions.
It's shocking to hear, but apparently talent will only get you so far in the premiere class...
The Shop
The psychology side of sports is overlooked way too much even today. Aldon knows how to build that up when it’s lacking in certain Rider’s.
I don't believe a rider can win on talent alone in the premier class...
Webb is riding very good, he looks smooth and fast.
KTM, well they have had a bit more success.......................
So I would say the bike is a bigger issue than some may want to admit.
There are just too many factors that make up a win or a loss. I think the bike is a big part of the equation, but there is so many variables that make a rider confident, it's not just one thing.
1. Cooper Webb even admitted himself that he was not training enough/with enough intensity the last couple of years. Aldon Baker has confirmed that Webb struggled in the beginning with the training program.
2. Look at the results that the stock bike puts out worldwide at the moment. It is one of the most neutral bikes out there and does everything well and racks up shootout wins.
Plessningers results aren't down to the YZF 450 being a bad bike. Even if you stick with the dated narrative around the YZF 450, shouldn't a big lad like Plessinger be perfect for it? All i have heard is that Plessinger would kill it on a 450 because of his size (yet again a stupid narrative).
Did the swich to KTM help Webb? Yes. But the biggest part of this amazing turn around is working with Baker and training with the top guys at Bakersfactory.
Cooper is just another rider to prove the blue 250 works and the blue 450 doesn't. Cooper hauled ass on the 250, and flopped on the 450. The blue pitch forks will argue it's because he stepped up his training program....yeah, well that will improve your results but doesn't make you go faster, it makes you go faster for a longer period of time (speed vs fitness). If he was out of shape on the blue 450 he should have still had the speed to run up front for 5 laps and then drop anchor (due to fitness). But that didn't happen, because the bike was holding him back (speed). Seems like Plessinger is dealing with it now, I bet he wishes he could hop back on the 250.
And to the angry blue crowd, I have no problem with the blue 450 for myself. I'm looking at one for my next bike as they've been very reliable bikes for me in the past. It definitley won't slow me down with the type of riding I do, but it obviously slows down the pros at the top level. Cooper Webb is the latest rider to put another nail in that blue coffin.
I'd also argue that Yamaha hasn't had the riders, Stewart aside. KTM had Dungey, Stew went to Suzuki in 12(I'll admit, the 10-13 YZ's weren't all that great for most guys, but it was because of JGR that he got checked out for ADD), Honda had Reed, Kawi had RV and Yamaha had Milsaps. Milsaps wasn't on the same level as the other 4 no matter what bike he was on. The other dudes were just straight up better than him.
Yamaha just hasn't had a guy on the top level and still doesn't. I'm a huge Barcia fan, but he's a step behind Marv, Webb, Ando, Tomac and Roczen. Who knows if or when they will get/have a guy on that next level.
2) The TEAM aspect is a HUGE reason behind the scenes on what the "bike" is better for him. He even said this - he went to the WINNING team - partly to TAKE AWAY any doubt he could have had in the bike.
look at the TEAMS history. Roger was factory honda - then factory suzuki (took forever but eventually won a LOT)
And now KTM. Roger's TEAM of staff and people he brings on board are the HUGE reason to their success
3) He said he was out of shape when he got to aldons - and thought he was IN shape before hand. If this was truthful (and not a mental game against his former team mates) - and you train with swanny (or whoever he trained with) then you must ask yourself - wow I must be out of shape. If I'm plessinger - and I hear that - I would think it's time to step up the program.
The bike, however, even if his KTM better - it's less than 5 percent difference from his yamaha. I'd stamp that. The biggest difference would be the confidence you have in that extra 5 percent...and how that translates on practice day and race day.
Imagine hating 1 tiny thing about your bike. And that 1 thing you KNOW doesn't really make a huge difference in performance. But ALL season long that 1 thing will nag at you.
I am usually part of the "its never the bike" camp, but there is just no way working one off season with aldon is all it took to go from 2 podiums in 2 years, to winning 3 of the first 6 races. Also, ktm has something figured out with starts right now, even the podcasts are talking about it. So you could attribute that to the bike or the team, depending on how you look at it I guess. He also said he likes how at ktm if he wants a custom part or wants to try something new, he has it on the bike in a week vs. what could take months at yamaha.
To counter argue with myself, cooper did put in a lot of decent rides on blue. He also said that he knew going into A1 in 2018 that yamaha wasn't where he wanted to be, so I imagine that last year he was a bit out of it mentally which may have affected his results.
The yz450 is a great bike, and in reality it may have been just fine for cooper, just like it is for all these test riders who give it shootout wins. However, if cooper PERCEIVED that it was the bike, then it's going to effect his mentality and therefore is an issue, plain and simple.
Pit Row
Cooper was still going fast as fuck. But he couldn't push too his potential because he wasn't comfortable.
Comfort from the bike, confidence, fitness...
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