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Genuinely like the dude, great person and hard worker...
Now, he lived in Belgium for 5 years.. riding Lommel etc. before moving to Europe, he had virtually no supercross experience.. monster cup is not SX .. it’s very easy for the 85 riders. + no whoops.
He raced In Europe for five years, becoming very very good and winning races here and there. Now he has transitioned back to the US and it’s not as easy as people think it is to just move back to where you’re from after making friends and a home etc in Europe.
Yes, he rides for Rockstar Husqvarna here, just like he did there... but come on, if you think the bikes are the same, you’re crazy... tires, chassis, suspension, etc is all different as you guys have seen how much are done to those GP bikes!
You also have to remember how soft euros run their chassis ... even I struggle with it everytime I go over there, but it’s better on their tracks. He has probably never even had a SX set of suspension until he came back here.
Give him time, he just needs to be comfortable with whoops and big rhythms and riding in 2nd gear and not being in 3-4th gear leaning back wide open for 30 min!
He will be a threat outdoors.
He is simply just learning supercross and getting his feet wet! He will be fine in 2020.
I know they have a different set of rules regarding chassis etc...how much different and are their bikes "that" much better than US spec?
Thank you.
Pit Row
But that could sadly be the future. Especially if nothing changes regarding the US "amateur" scene and how they develop compared to the EMX system. US kids are getting more and more customed to short races and SX style tracks while the Euro based kids are racing 25 min + 2 lap races on the same tracks as the GP riders.
But now to Covington. This was one of the easiest layouts that i have seen for a long time. A guy with his talent should do so much better than this. His knee has to be the reason for this. I have still faith in him!
The GP guys are MX specialists, the US guys are forced to be SX specialists that can also rip around a motocross track, and that shows when the two face off at a race like the MXoN. Look at the MXGP schedule and look at the US schedule, which is 17 rounds of SX, 12 rounds of MX.
Like it or not, the US market puts more stock in SX and it is vastly different than MX. That’s why you never see a GP rider come over and find instant success in SX. It takes time to figure out and the time spent learning SX takes time away from your MX skills.
Rookies seem to be able to jump in and get going ok for the most part.
Is coming back from Europe more of a disadvantage than a first year pro in the class?
He’s had a lot of time to test on factory equipment.
Hopefully he figures it out.
Roczen from the second half of SX 16 through his injury in 17 would have been a favorite at any track indoors or out sans Sand. Without his injury there is your guy, again talent. Tomac won the big three in a one year in 16 after coming off a massive injury the year before. Musquin would be a top contender on certain GP tracks look at the last time he want to Ernee after being out of Europe for years. RV won his second GP race after being out of Moto for well over a year and going somewhere new, talent.
Forkner and the Baby Jesus look to be coming on real strong, if they carry it over to the outdoors which I think they will who is to say they can’t do it all?
It’s all about talent and always has been.
Is it impossible? Absolutely not. There are a handful of guys with both SX and MX titles. Just seems like there’s a divide in SX talent and MX talent, especially in recent years.
Shit, I might’ve lost my train of thought and changed the discussion a bit because I agree.
The sport isn’t at a point where a rider can’t be a champion in both. But I think spending half the year training for SX takes away from your outdoor talent a bit. A Tomac that has been practicing MX for a year is going to beat a Tomac that has been practicing SX for 6 Months and MX for 6 months in an outdoor race.
It would be crazy if he actually is that good on a MX track and this bad on a SX track.
This isn't a coming home from Europe or GP racer thing, it's a Thomas Covington thing!
Zacho had a 4-5 year SX sabbatical and came over (as a GP rider) to qualify 3rd and finish inside the top ten. The following year he came back full-time and look where his career went!
Pourcel came over (as a GP rider), qualified 3rd and finished 2nd in his first ever SX. The following weekend he qualified 1st and finished 1st, laying wood to the likes of RV. Two years later he came over full-time and won consecutive regional titles.
Roczen qualified 1st in his first ever SX.
Tonus qualified 2nd in his first ever SX.
Rattray finished on the podium in his first ever SX.
Musquin finished 4th in his first ever SX.
Anstie qualified 2nd in his first ever SX.
Both Searle and Ferrandis qualified and finished inside the top ten in their first ever SX.
Granted, these names didn't all reach their potential or succeed, but they showed speed from the off as 'MX specialists', just like most rookies who come into the class do! Therefore Thomas Covington's scenario isn't normal, he's clearly struggling to adapt like few before him but the alleged knee injury can't be helping.
Huge fan of his and Im excited hes back in the states.
Post a reply to: thomas covington