Has MXdN Team USA been chosen?

[XRpredator]

From RacerX online this morning:

August 24, 2004

Has Team USA been chosen?

Okay, this is a weird as it gets, but Racer X has learned from a reliable source that the AMA is preparing to announce a team for the 2004 Motocross des Nations made up of pure rookies. It's a very interesting scenario, but honestly, kind of hard to believe. Here goes....

At this point, the three young riders mentioned are: Josh Grant, Matt Goerke and Mike Alessi. The word is that Grant is just waiting on Honda to make sure they will send him over a bike. Alessi will ride a KTM250F or even a 450; we're not sure about Goerke, a Suzuki support rider this year who, like Alessi, graduated from Loretta Lynn's Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships just two weeks ago.

How the mighty have fallen. :(

 

[biglou]

More from Racer X this morning:

Factory Connection’s Josh Grant sat out with a concussion, but rumors swirled around the pits that he might be tapped for a try at the Motocross des Nations team in a last-ditch bid to get a Team USA over to Holland in October. There’s some talk on the message boards as to why Roger DeCoster never invited Hepler directly, but DeCoster’s problem is not getting Broc or Millsaps to go, but rather getting Mel Harris, the VP of American Suzuki, to pay for anyone’s trip abroad.

So what’s going to happen with Team USA? Any day now, we will know.

The word on the streets is also that Mike Alessi, absent from Broome-Tioga, will be back as soon as Steel City on a 450, then drop down to the 125 class for the season-ending Glen Helen National.

And you already know about Jeremy coming back to Steel City. How cool!

 

[super rat]

I'd like to see Hepler in that mix.

 

[marcusgunby]

I thought Alessi had contract problems at Honda?

 

[jboomer]

Sounds like Lord Alfred is at it again! 3 rookies running the des Nations? Although, Grant is a great rider and has put in some really good finishes, it seems like there's plenty of more seasoned riders to choose from. And what's this about Jeremy at Steel City? I swear I was just on here this morning...has that much happened since then?

 

[jboomer]

And there it is, 4 posts down "MC racing Steel City"

 

[elf]

So I guess we have a winning team this year!
Alessi said he could beat all those gp guys right??

 

[oldguy]

As if Americans aren't hated enough in Europe now we send Mike Alessi to be our ambassador :yikes:

 

[Dr_Doom]

"Hey, Who should we send over?"

"Hmm, Well, let's look at who we have..Ricky..Bubba..Windham.."

"Oh yeah, those guys are good. Ricky's had a perfect season right? Almost to another?"

"Yeah and Bubba's outrunning a herd of four-strokes on a two-smoker."

"Wow. Oh wait, How about a few rookies?"

"Oh my god, You read my mind!"

"I know! Especially that Alessi fellow! Remember how he guranteed a top 5?"

"Oh yeah, How'd he do?"

"I dont know, who cares? Let's pick them!"

"Yeah!"

"Wanna play some Yu-gi-oh?"

It went something like that i think.

 

[MXSparx]

How the mighty have fallen. :(

my thoughts EXACTLY. How do they come up with a list like this? It used to be some of the best riders we had to offer went over. Now we are down to this?? I dont understand. :|

 

[jboomer]

Well, trying to be optimistic-- we have nothing to lose this way. If we lose (probably), it's because they are all rookies. If we win (extremely doubtful), then we did it with our rookies!

 

[Dr_Doom]

Suppose so, but it feels like Team USA just wasting time when the US has two proven champions. Especially when RC is starting to think about retirement in a few years or so. And Windham can do some damage too.

And when they have Everts, Reed, Vuilimen, Roncada and a long list of top foreign folk to worry about.

I say nay, nay i say.

 

[leakypipe23]

Reminds me of the USA Men's B-Ball team this year....

 

[ktmdad]

I'd like to see Hepler in that mix.

Hepler stated in an interview that neither he nor Millsapps had been asked to go.

Can not figure out why the AMA waits to the last minute to put a team together.

Who decides who goes Trials DesNations? Team memebers have been choosen and they'r going.

If the MXDN team was determined earlier in the season, then maybe there would be more of a committment to get the team to the race.

 

[marcusgunby]

it seems a little like its a major surprise to the ama that the mxdn will come round each season?

 

[syko]

I really wanted to see everts and Rc up against each other again.
they are both on form right now. although, when are they not?

whatever happens I think it' gonna between the frenchies and the belgiums this year.

 

[super rat]

I really wanted to see Bubba smok'em on his 125.

 

[syko]

i'm a bubba fan but i don't think he has the depth of talent that the likes of Everts and pichon etc have.
not yet anyway.

 

[Okiewan]

i'm a bubba fan but i don't think he has the depth of talent that the likes of Everts and pichon etc have.
not yet anyway.

What exactly is "depth of talent" ?

 

[super rat]

It's like how Kdub is more talented than RC, even though RC gaps him by one minute in a moto.

 

[Okiewan]

Ah.... talent on a bike always means faster?

If there's a RC bandwagon, rats' the driver. :rotfl:

 

[bclapham]

What exactly is "depth of talent" ?

its that thing the USA 4x100M sprint team had the most of in last nights race.

However, since it was a TEAM event the world saw that TEAM work is what won the GB team the gold.

that said, why are you guys still arguing????

you didnt show in 2001.

all we heard were excuses

so the FIM gave you the race in 2002.

you made a mess of that.

all we heard were excuses

in 03, the USA said they would spank everybody- well Belgium were atop the podium, you didnt spank anyone. Luckily for you RC saved the face for the other two that layed in the dirt.

all we heard were excuses

now you cant sent a team and you guys still think you are better than the world, LOL.

all we hear are excuses

put up, or shut up. Me, i am so tired of hearing from the US MX drama queens.

if you want to be the center of attention,, all you have to do is show up and prove you are as good as you think.

 

[Okiewan]

Bruce, you just don't get it.
The US is the center of the MX Universe :p If the world wants to see how the Euro's stack-up, they can come here, that's (most of 'em) their goal anyway.

"We" screwed-up the MXdN? I tend to believe the promotor did, giving the race to a track that didn't even exist.

Townley (sp?) the next great Brit superstar just said in RacerX, he wants to win a couple "world" titles so he'll have a chance to get picked-up by a US team when he get's here. Sounds pretty obvious don't you think?

I suppose if the Euro guys don't want to become well-rounded (ie; learn SX and race two series) they'll just have to be content to stay over there and race in the minor leagues.

I guess your comment about the Olympics was a shot at the US (don't you live here; pissing on your guest, lol)... what's the medal count?

 

[Okiewan]

The medal Count for the lazy (Top 20):

Side Bar:
US Gold: 35
Germany, France & Great Britain (combined) Gold: 34



Country Gold Silver Bronze Total

United States of America 35 39 29 103
Russia 27 27 38 92
China 32 17 14 63
Australia 17 16 16 49
Germany 14 16 18 48
Japan 16 9 12 37
France 11 9 13 33
Italy 10 11 11 32
South Korea 9 12 9 30
Great Britain 9 9 12 30
Cuba 9 7 11 27
Ukraine 9 5 9 23
Netherlands 4 9 9 22
Romania 8 5 6 19
Spain 3 11 5 19
Hungary 8 6 3 17
Greece 6 6 4 16
Belarus 2 6 7 15
Canada 3 6 3 12
Bulgaria 2 1 9 12

 

[bclapham]

I guess your comment about the Olympics was a shot at the US (don't you live here; pissing on your guest, lol)... what's the medal count?

nope, i was simply trying to point out that team games often require more than a collecion of talented individuals.