They came,
By TMX Archives on 12th Oct 05
I suppose I shouldn't really admit this but I'd have been happier if Iran had won the Nations (this was never going to happen - they entered but didn't show up) or Guatemala or Latvia or France or absolutely anyone else in fact. I suppose I shouldn't really admit this but I'd have been happier if Iran had won the Nations (this was never going to happen - they entered but didn't show up) or Guatemala or Latvia or France or absolutely anyone else in fact. Why? Because they're just so smug, so big-headed, so loud, so, so, so...so American! Now I'm not having a pop at RC, Kevin Windham and Ivan Tedesco - far from it. The US threesome flew in, did the business and flew out again.My problem's with the whole 'US MX is better than GP MX' attitude that prevails over on the other side of the pond. Yes, Ricky Carmichael is without a doubt the fastest motocrosser on the planet. Yes, they've also got the prodigiously talented James Stewart. But that's where it stops. Tedesco's no faster than Antonio Cairoli or Marc De Reuver or Tyla Rattray and Windham's no faster than Stefan Everts or Josh Coppins or Ben Townley. Now I'm not tarring everyone in America with the same brush - it's the jingoistic flag-wavers who can shout the mindless 'USA, USA' mantra the loudest who get on my tits.I'm not claiming that GPs are better than the AMA Nationals - what I'm saying is they're different. Both series have their pros and cons and genuine MX fans - the ones who respect any rider at the top of their game, regardless of nationality - should recognise this.Carmichael is being lauded as the Greatest Of All Time in certain quarters of the US. That could well be true. But equally it might not be. The closest GP MX has got to RC is Everts but, even though they're racing in the same era, you could argue that Everts is at 32 now past his best while Ricky, a mere pup at 25, is in his prime. You could also argue that Everts was in his prime when he wiped the floor with everyone - including a teenaged Carmichael - at the Foxhill MX des Nations in '98. Or the following year when he went 1-1 when the des Nats stopped off in Brazil. Of course, RC was on a 125 and Everts was on a 250 back then - and that's precisely my point. To proclaim someone as the GOAT you need a level playing field and that simply doesn't exist in a sport like MX. After all, who's to say that Joel Robert wasn't in fact better than Everts?Okay, let's move away from MX and the two times 40-minute moto shandies and into the manly world of enduros. The ISDE is the daddy of them all - six days in the saddle and the riders have to spin the spanners for themselves! All the British Trophy Team acquitted themselves brilliantly and Fast Eddy - thanks to his super-human mud-riding skills - made the E2 podium come the close of play in Slovakia. But even Paul's achievement is over-shadowed by David Knight who was in a class of his own to nail the overall win - the first ever for a Brit in the event.The efforts of Knighter, Eddy and the rest of the Trophy Team saw GB fill fourth in the final standings. Add to this a fifth by our MXdN team, second by both our male and female TdN teams and another second by our Sidecarcross des Nations team and it's been a bloody good month all round for the Brits.In fact, I reckon with all disciplines considered we're the greatest all-round off-roading nation on the planet! Of all time! So repeat after me - with lots of air-punching - 'GB, GB, GB'...Sean Lawless