Ryan Nitzen | July 27, 2022
Cycle News The 411COLUMN
MXdN Speculation
The annual Motocross des Nations (yes, it’s still “des” in my book) is almost here and the American team still has yet to be announced. The unveiling of Team USA usually comes around the Unadilla round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, so technically we have a few weeks left to go.
Will we see Jason Anderson on a 250cc for the Motocross des Nations? He said he’d gladly do it for the team. There’s a lot on the line this year, as the MXdN, once again, will be held on home soil at RedBud. RedBud—America’s motocross track as it’s often referred to—hosted the race back in 2018 in which Team USA finished fifth overall with riders Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia and Aaron Plessinger. The rainy weather and unusually sandy conditions didn’t play to our favor, but results are results, and this year Team USA will be back with a vengeance.
Team USA hasn’t won the Chamberlain Trophy since 2011 when Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto and Blake Baggett got it done in France. With this year’s Nations right around the corner, who would you pick to be on Team USA? That seems to be the big question right now.
Word in the pits right now is that no one from our 250cc pool will be added to the roster this year. In an interview with Motocross Action , Roger Decoster said simply, “They [our 250cc riders] are not consistent enough.” Well, there’s your answer and The Man does have a point.
There’s no real dominant American 250cc rider right now on the U.S. circuit who can challenge the likes of the Lawrence brothers—Jett and Hunter—and Team Australia. Justin Cooper is currently the highest-ranking American rider at fourth in points, but he still seems to be racing himself back into shape from the foot injury he sustained earlier this year.
Moving down the points list, you’ll see Levi Kitchen (who is out with a wrist injury), Seth Hammaker (who is only in his second year of professional racing), Michael Mosiman (who won a moto at Hangtown but his average finish this year is 9.7), Stilez Robertson (who is out with an ankle injury), and RJ Hampshire (who was third at Pala moto one but missed High Point due to an injury). The pickings are slim for 250cc riders, which leads us to our next thought:
What about a 450cc rider on a 250cc?
Getting bumped down a size has been done before (Bob Hannah in 1987 and Johnny O’Mara in 1986 quickly come to mind, and they emerged from the Nations as heroes), but it’s almost more common to see a 250cc rider step up to the big bikes. This year might be a bit different, and the speculation has already begun.
Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton are shoe-ins as the team’s 450cc picks, which still leaves another spot open. Jason Anderson? He won an overall at Hangtown and already posted a Tweet saying, “I’d ride a 250 for sure.” Anderson is currently third in 450cc points and fresh off a podium at Spring Creek. He seems like a logical choice. But…
Christian Craig is another hot prospect. He just won his first 250cc Supercross Championship this year and has had multiple 450cc moto podiums this summer. He’s riding fast and solid right now, which are two critical elements in winning the MXdN.
Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton are shoe-ins as the team’s 450cc picks, which still leaves another spot open. Jason Anderson?
Another possibility is Justin Barcia. He was coincidentally spotted at Glen Helen this week riding a fully prepped GasGas MC 250F. The incognito bike was even complete with a 450cc-spec white-and-black number-plate backgrounds. He also finished third overall (8-3) at RedBud earlier this year, which might play to his benefit, plus he has MXdN experience. Barcia is an absolute animal on a 250 (look up “Justin Barcia clutch destroyer” on YouTube) and he would certainly rough things up with the young guns in the MX2 class. But his results in this year’s outdoors have been inconsistent and off the pace.
Still, this year I’d say the odds are in our favor. We get the home-field advantage, and our top guys are riding at an unbelievable pace right now. Even Antonio Cairoli couldn’t touch Tomac or Sexton during his stay earlier this year (I know, I know… it’s his first time on these tracks. Still). The Europeans have certainly elevated the motocross game as of late, but the pendulum’s nature is to always swing back and this seems like a good time for that to happen. After an 11-year hiatus, I think Team USA has a real shot at another MXdN win. CN
