America v Europe team race – how would they line-up?
Individually, the only logical place to prove yourself as the best motocross rider in the world is the MXGP world championship, that’s the pinnacle of the sport outdoors, but what about team racing and America v Europe, that the MXoN is so often turned into?
Europe at the MX of Nations don’t even have a team to compete against the USA, individual countries do. But many Americans have historically, and continue to refer to beating, “the Europeans,” as a group when it comes to America winning the Nations, so why not have a race that is literally Europe v America like they do in golf so that Europe’s best riders are actually on one team and not split into different countries like they are at the MXoN?
If we look at the racing in historical MXoN’s as Europe v USA broken down in total moto wins over the decades it provides a different insight.
1980s 32-17 to the USA
1990s 45- 15 to Europe
2000s 18-18 draw
2010s 46-9 to Europe
A proper Europe v USA event would of course have the benefit of many more top Americans in the race with a chance of winning but also all the top European riders in the race, like Cairoli, Herlings, Gajser and Prado, would actually be on the same team and not racing against each other and taking points off each other like they do in the MXoN racing for their own country.
Tony Cairoli for example admitted in an interview with MXGP TV, that the MXoN is hard for him in some ways because he knows Italy don’t have much of a chance of winning: “It’s nice you can win and help your country to get on the podium but on one side it’s frustrating that you know you can maybe never win a Motocross of Nations you can’t see teammates that are able to help you win and get the trophy. It’s a very nice race but on one side it’s also very difficult because you only go there to try and win your class or maybe get on the podium as best as we can do but to be really honest it’s very difficult to win the race as a team.”
It could be an amazing race for the fans and the riders if it could be pulled off logistically, a much fairer way to judge the “Europe v America” rivalry that was indeed largely created by America back in the 80s via the MXoN and, it has the potential to be one of the dirt bike biggest events in the world.
One year in America, one year in Europe ran as two separate MX2 races and two separate MX1 races of 30 minutes plus 2 laps, with 15 of the best Americans and 15 of the best Europeans per class (you could also add in a rest of the world category potentially). Drop the gate and let them race and see who really would come out on top as a group – it would certainly be entertaining!
Here is how they could line up:
MX2
USA
Cooper
McElrath
Sexton
Hampshire
J Martin
A Martin
Marchbanks
Smith
Mosiman
Forkner
Drake
Hartranft
Oldenburg
Brown
Hayes
Europe
Vialle
Geerts
Ferrandis
Watson
Hofer
Mewse
Olsen
Renaux
Sydow
Haarup
Van De Moosdijk
Boisrame
Laengenfelder
Vaessen
Forato
MX1
USA
Tomac
Webb
Baggett
Osborne
Anderson
Barcia
Cianciarulo
Plesssinger
Chisholm
Brayton
Hill
Cunningham
Bloss
Tickle
Savatgty
Europe
Cairoli
Herlings
Gajser
Prado
Coldenhoff
Desalle
Febvre
Paulin
Seewer
Tonus
Roczen
Musquin
Jonass
Jasikonis
Van Horebeek
Who would your money be on?!
Article: Jonathan McCready
Image: Infront Moto Racing
