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no he wouldn't. he's a draft dodger.
I hope i get the chance to see Dungey, Tomac, Roczen and many others ride in the future, last time i've seen Roczen ride in real life was in his last year in gp's.
And yes i believe Herlings has more raw speed and talent than Roczen had back then, i obviously don't know how he evolved in the states over these past years.
But back then Herlings had more talent/raw speed then Roczen did and to be clear that is just my opinion.
The Shop
Herlings has had injuries, without the injuries he would be on a 450.
Martin has supercross to worry about. If it was just a motocross series in America he would be on a 450 this year.
And please to all others that are talking about those injuries. Those are all self inflicted. He broke his femur because that egocentric little kid couldn't bare the thought that he would be beaten by a 14 year old.
It’s not about age, it’s about years of utter domination of a feeder series. Like it or not MX2 is now nothing to FIM/Youthstream but a series designed to get newer/younger riders ready for the premier 450/MX1 class. Hence the under 23 years old age limit and at one time a two titles and be forced to move up rule (Removed specifically for Herlings by the way).
Herlings has not had anyone even remotely at his level since the 2012 MX2 season. No matter if he won the title or not he was light years faster than anyone in the class. These are years of season sweeps, 150 point leads 1/3 of the way through the season, two second per lap faster speed, etc. Just absolute domination. Guillod, Gajser, and Tixier won individual GP’s beating Herlings but nobody could even come close to matching him over a season. Not to forget all of them have moved on to MX1 anyway. Once again it’s about udder domination of a feeder series not his age....
J. Martin, M. Stewart, M. Davalos, etc have competition in each and every race. They aren’t winning every race, turning two second faster lap times than their competition, or getting 150 point leads in their series before the 50% mark. Again, they have massive competition....
I also think the guys stating he would have moved up to MX1 by now if it wasn’t for the injuries are trying to BS us or rewrite history. Herlings has never stated that. Before this season and the “Sandbagger” talk he always talked about; “Domination”, “Reaching 100 GP Wins”, and beating Everts GP win record, all while in the MX2 class. If you remember correctly Vital had “Herlings Sandbagger” threads before the 2015 season as well. Oddly some choose to forget this. Watch or read old interviews, this is very easy to prove.
1. Martin isn't that good at SX, which is the most important series over here (money wise).
2. Martin hasn't completely dominated for 5 years. It was just two years ago he burst onto the scene in MX and won the championship. He defended it last year.
3. Even with winning those championships, he's not 3 seconds per lap faster than the next guy, at every race, like Herlings is.
4. Herlings has been a pro much longer than Martin.
All that being said, although I still believe Herlings is a sandbagger, I'll give him a pass due to those injuries he had. If he finishes this season healthy with a championship, nobody will have ground to stand on when people call him a sandbagger in 2017.
However, I don't think Herlings is sandbagging. He's racing the pro class so by definition he isn't sandbagging. I do think he is milking the MX2 class for every penny. But MX careers are short and injuries can happen so I don't see anything wrong with that. And if I was KTM I would want him in the class too since I have Cairoli in the MX1 class.
Nice avatar too btw. No agenda behind that, right?
Pit Row
'It’s not about age, it’s about years of udder domination of a feeder series. '
Surely this can't have happened by accident? ; )
Stefan Everts advised you to move up to the 450s this year, what made you stay in the 250s?
Well my contract finished with KTM in 2013 so when Pit [Beirer] and I were discussing a new deal for 2014-15 he said he would like for me to stay in MX2. I’m only 19 so it makes sense to stay and race another year in MX2.
And in 2015?
The plan is to ride MX1 in 2015.
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2013 Motocross Action Magazine interview
WHEN DO YOU MOVE TO THE 450 CLASS?
Last year I rode the KTM 350SXF at the Motocross des Nations. I will make the step up to the big bike either next year or the following year, in 2015. I want to focus on the 250 before my mind wanders to the big bike. I do like the 450. I have shown good speed on the bike, and I think it will be very fun once I race in that class.
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2013 Redbull Interview
Looking beyond the end of the season, what's your plan (for 2014)?
“I've been thinking about everything... I don't know yet if I'll be in MX1 or MX2, but I'm definitely going to remain in Europe. Maybe I'll stay one more year in MX2 but if not I just hope to work on my first MX1 world title. It's going to be a really difficult one and way more difficult than last year in MX2 and maybe also this year in MX2.”
What's your preference? Looking at the current regulations you can only defend the MX2 title once before having to move up to MX1, which means you'd have to do that for 2014...
“I can easily do a top five in the first year in MX1, I think even top three and maybe winning a championship. The thing is I'm 18 years old and if I step up to the MX1 class now what am I going to do for the rest of my career? Spend 10, maybe 12 more years – if nothing bad happens – in MX1? I think it's better to stay in MX2 for one more year and maybe dominate.
I really would like to stay in MX2 for one more year and then when I turn 20 it's a good time to move up to the MX1 class.'
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2013 Vurb Interview
The rulings in the last couple weeks, allowing you being able to stay in the MX2 class until you turn 23. So what are your plans now and wat do you hope to do for the next few years?
Well, just get six world titles and about 100 GP wins then I’ll move up to MX1 (laughs). I’m just kidding. Definitely I’ll stay in MX2 in 2014. For 2015 I got the option to either race MX2 or MX1 World Championship. So for now just 2014 MX2 and for ’15 we have to wait and see.
Does it depend on anything like injuries or anything like that, or is it just your decision?
It’s basically just my decision because I thought I was too young. Well, I definitely got the speed to obviously race top three in the MX1 class and be winning GPs and battling for the championship. I think I can still learn and get some more experience in the MX1 class. We just have to wait and see when I’ll make the step to the big boys.
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This interview was recorded before the 2015 season, sounds as though he plans to move up 2016 does it not?
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2015 Motocross Illustrated Interview
Motocross Illustrated: Next year, a lot of people want to see you in the MXGP class. In my opinion it seems it would be pretty stupid as KTM have the strongest guys in both classes and winning titles is what they are about.
Herlings: I mean that is what Pit told me also. I am happy in MX2, but I don’t want to always stay in MX2, but I am only 19 I am young to move up to MXGP, and if I move to MXGP next year I will only be 20 and I will be really young. If I stay people will say I am scared of Cairoli, and I am not scared of Cairoli. What is best for me to do? Because I am so young, when you want to beat Cairoli you need a lot of experience, and he isn’t an easy guy to beat.
Motocross Illustrated: As mentioned before, you want to break records and no rider has won four 125/MX2 titles before. Gaston Rahier, Harry Everts and Alessio Chiodi have won three in a row, so you can equal those guys this year, but I can imagine being the best 125/MX2 rider of all time has a nice ring to it?
Herlings: I mean to win three in a row would be cool, and winning four would be awesome, but let us try and get the third one first. We have two at the moment, and then check out what we do for next year. In a couple of months we will make a decision, but it isn’t just my decision, but also the decision of Red Bull KTM.
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Here is an excerpt from an MX Addicts interview a week or so ago;
Everyone I talk to says when Herlings moves up he will dominate. We look at Gajser and Febvre when they moved to the MXGP class and they are dominating. Those guys have won every GP. You are riding a 450, so I am thinking, win the championship, then go to Assen on a 450. I know you don’t want to talk about that stuff, but how cool would that be.
That would be super cool, but I remember I was going to win the championship in 2014 and the planning was to go to Lommel on the 450, go to Unadilla on the 250 and then finish the rest of the season on the big bike. Then do 2015 on the 450.That is why I don’t want to plan anything. I just look week by week and we see how things turn out.
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An Open Letter written by Herlings after the 2015 season: "Which class for 2016 is not decided yet."
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BritishMX Interview talking about his injuries and how in 2015 he considered packing it in altogether.
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2016 MXlarge interview
MXlarge: Beating the top MXGP guys like Desalle, Simpson and Townley, does that give any regrets in not moving up to the MXGP class this year?
Herlings: I mean, when we made the decision three months ago it wasn’t even sure when I would be back on the bike. It could have been end of November, but it could have been end of December, or even January, we didn’t know. We are lucky everything went well and we started riding early. I don’t know, I have mixed feelings, but I don’t have any regrets on my decision, and it’s a good decision for my confidence, to still do another year in MX2. MX2 is easier, there are so many heavy hitters in MXGP, but it isn’t the easy way out, because there is no easy way to win a world motocross championship, be it MX2 or MXGP, but of course it’s easier to win the MX2 than the MXGP, but it still isn’t easy.
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2016 MotoXAddicts interview
Febvre and Gajser, are both guys you beat easily on the smaller bike. You have to have one eye on the MXGP class or not?
If I look at the results, it’s a little frustrating, because I beat Febvre every weekend, same with Gajser, so to see those guys winning, they are in the main class and winning. I would love to be there, but after all my injuries I didn’t want to move up just yet. As I mentioned in the pre-season, I didn’t even know when I would be able to ride the bike again, and that isn’t the right preparation for the top class. I can get away with it in the MX2 class, but not in the MXGP class. It turned out I got on the bike quicker than expected, but to win MXGP you need the perfect winter.
I doubt you are scared of the MXGP guys.
Many people think I am scared of them, but that isn’t the issue. They call me a sandbagger or whatever but you know many people forget where I came from and I wish they would respect my decision. I never got a chance to race all the top 450 guys, in the pre-season I beat a lot of them on a lights bike, and obviously with my weight the 450 bike would be a lot better for me. We will see what happens when I move up.
This thread is a classic example of beating a dead llama.
Post a reply to: please explain why Herlings is sandbagging and Martin is not