There is just twenty-nine minutes remaining until the first MX1/MX2 moto as I sit here writing this, and the excitement is building by the second. There hasn’t been too much going on this morning with the top guys, as they only had their warm up sessions, which mean very little.
Although the times mean nothing, you can always tell what lies ahead. The usual protagonists were looking good, although Antonio Cairoli didn’t go out on-track at any point. From reports we have received, it sounds like he was late arriving to the circuit, for whatever reason. It will be interesting to see if this has an impact on how he fares in the opening moto, as the track has changed quite a bit with all of the action that has gone on thus far. Despite this, most are still tipping him to win the MX2 class and maybe even a moto. Most 450F guys will be on the outside, which will aid him massively, although it sounds like Ryan Dungey (in moto one) and Eli Tomac (in race two) will be on the inside with him.
Speaking of the USA, Jeremy Martin did go out in warm up and was pushing, although his leg is quite beat up. He won’t be one-hundred percent, but after the courageous performance he put in yesterday, he will surely do whatever he can to help his nation climb onto the top step of the podium. The report we received indicated that he has broken a toe, although that is unconfirmed at this time.
The track was left rough overnight for the most part, which means it is going to get quite gnarly over the next three motos. There is a hard base in some places, which is leaving some nasty kickers and sharp edges, which is keeping the riders on their toes. Will this aid the European riders? Perhaps it will towards the end of the day, but the Americans will figure it out – they always do!
Ireland have got a reputation of being B-Final specialists, and today was no different, as they again pulled through following a superb ride by Martin Barr. Stuart Edmonds backed him up in fourth, whilst Gordon Crockard had some problems further down the field. Spain were actually in a position to win, but their Open rider crashed out of the top five with just a few laps to go, which cost them a spot in the main races. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how lacklustre Jose Butron looked. He should have dominated that race, surely?
Following recent events, it is extremely hard to pick a firm favourite to lift the Chamberlain Trophy, as every team seems to have some kind of issue that may prevent them from separating themselves. However, that will only make this edition of the Motocross of Nations even more memorable! After watching the USA dominate for so many years, it’s great to have some parity out there.
Remember, we’ll have live updates from each moto of the MXoN here.
Image: ConwayMX
