Ryan Hughes on the difference between American and European riders
Ryan Hughes has just landed from the US after becoming the coach for Glenn Coldenhoff for the MXGP season and has already given his views on difference between the US style and the MXGP riders – after just one day at the track observing Coldenhoff and Prado’s technique!
Hughes said: “What do I notice watching the European riders against the Americans? How much smoother they are on the gas and on the braking, much more roll, much more smoother with clutch delivery, gas delivery, a little bit softer with the gas, a little bit softer with the roll. Americans are very aggressive with the gas, aggressive with the clutch, aggressive with their braking and with their acceleration but I think that comes from supercross.
“So as you watch the Europeans, they are a lot more smooth, a lot more soft, more flowing, more patient and I think that comes into play when the track is very rough. Supercross isn’t rough conditions, so you can get into that really aggressive gas, clutch, braking because everything is short, tight and cramped. But when you get to an outdoor track where it’s a little bit longer, faster, more flowing and the tracks get rougher well, that’s when that smooth, patient style will come out.
“That’s the first thing I noticed here being the first day in Italy, is the Europeans, how they go about the track. It’s almost like they are going slow but they are not, they are going fast because again, if you are gassing it and you are losing traction, you are losing forward momentum. So to me when I listen to them they are always getting traction, always getting momentum, not making mistakes, not stopping and going whereas the America rider are a little more stop and go because of that aggressive style.”
It’s always good to have a US view and should give US fans, who don’t get a lot of MXGP world championship coverage in the US motocross media, an honest insight into the quality of MXGP and the differences between the world championship style and the US style.
Image: KTM
