Yanks are coming – without Bubba!
By TMX Archives on 21st Aug 09
THE Americans are coming to the Nations in October without James Stewart!After months of uncertainty, US team manager Roger De Coster and the AMA announced the three man team at the Unadilla National on Saturday Ryan Dungey (MX1), Jake Weimer (MX2) and Ivan Tedesco (Open).Hot sauce' Tedesco (Tabasco, geddit) is the only one of the trio to have ridden the event before but the 28-year-old Honda factory man from New Mexico has gone home as member of a victorious team on both of his previous visits in 2005 and 2006.
He is the anchor of the team, while America's two top MX2 riders will surely be able to star on the jump-infested SX-style track at Franciacorta.
Dungey (19) from Minnesota should have no difficulty on the 450 Suzuki he is expected to race next year, while 21-year-old Weimer from Idaho will ride his regular Pro-Circuit Kawasaki.
Stewart's absence from the line-up is no longer a surprise, but it is amazing that Nations title sponsor Red Bull has not insisted that its US star athlete be present.
The Americans certainly have a chance, though they are certainly not overwhelming favourites. At the Unadilla Outdoor National on Saturday their trio went 2-3-7 in their respective classes. Chad Reed, Michael Byrne and Brett Metlcalfe, their Australian rivals who were also nominated last week, went 1-3-4!
Belgium is another candidate to win the Peter Chamberlain Trophy in Italy on October 4, and team boss Joel Smets revealed his trio during the interval of the traditional August 15 (a catholic holiday) international at Mol on Saturday.
Belgium also has two rookies in its line-up, but Clement Desalle (MX1) and Joel Roelants (MX2) are the outstanding riders in their respective classes this year and both very much on form. The shock was the omission of Ken De Dycker, but Smets clearly believes Steve Ramon is the more reliable anchor; Keeno' is notoriously erratic, while Ramon still has six weeks to build again after his injury lay-off during the summer.
Britain still has to make a choice and this weekend's Maxxis round at Duns in Scotland could be vital.
Both Shaun Simpson and Billy MacKenzie will be keen to stake a claim after injury, while Brad Anderson and Stephen Sword will not only be eager to consolidate their points lead. Even Jake Nicholls, Britain's top man at the GPs of late and winner of the last Maxxis round, could stake a late claim for consideration, while Tommy Searle, who appeared to be an automatic choice a few weeks back, continued to disappoint at Unadilla and his apparent conflict with KTM is also a worrying factor.