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Motocross des Nations preview
posted by Roddy 

Motocross des Nations.... doesn't the name just do something to you? All that history, glamour, the tracks, the teams. Nation against nation battling it out on some bumpy, dusty European track - settling scores, rising to the occasion and besting their national rivals...

Motocross des Nations 2003

Hmmm... sounds a little patriotic, doesn't it? Well I guess that's the whole idea with the MXdN isn't it? Still, there's something about it that's just a little...... out of date.

After all, isn't it, like so cold war-ish to talk about nations battling nations?

Whatever. I'm going baby! This year's race will be held at a new course in Zolder, Belgium which is only about 3 hours from my new home in Germany. The last time the MXdN came so close to my home town was in 1987 in Unadilla. I didn't go, but the memory of that race is crystal clear in my mind.

The year previous to that, the race was held in Maggiora, Italy where David Bailey, Rick Johnson and Johnny O'Mara completely dominated the show. I mean really dominated. O'Mara hadn't been on a 125 since 1984 and, frankly, the shine was starting to come off the O'Show. But something happened that day on the brown hills of that Italian track. O'Mara was on a mission. In his second race he did the unthinkable - he caught and passed all the 500cc competitors including then 500cc World Champion David Thorpe of England. On a 125! It was as outrageous then as it sounds today.

So, coming back to 1987... It was clear that after delivering the thumping in Italy the U.S. was firmly in control of the MX planet. So much so, that for the next edition of the MXdN the AMA awarded Bob Hannah a swan-song of sorts. Talk about being on the down side of one's career...! By 1987 Hurricane Bob had been lounging around the back half of the top 10 in 250 MX for a while, yet applied serious pressure on the U.S. team and the AMA to be included in the race which would take place at his beloved track, Unadilla.

It was sketchy at best. Few thought he could live up to the challenge. Particularly as the only place for Bob was on a 125, a bike he hadn't ridden in many years. The 250 was occupied by Johnson and the 500 was being ably piloted by Jeff Ward. It didn't matter, Hannah said he'd ride no matter what.

There was one other glitch, too. The other countries were in top form. The Netherlands (Davey Strijbos, Kees Van der Ven and Jon Ven den Berck) had an awesome team of former world champions as did Belgium (Georges Jobe, Eric Geboers and Velkeneers). Any errors on the American's part would result in a sure loss. All this conspired to make the selection of Hannah all the more suspect and the subject of growing criticism stateside.

Hannah finished poorly in the first moto, stoking the coals of the naysayers. Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward were doing their job, so it all came down to Hannah's second moto. Hannah pulled the mircale, coming through the pack and winning the second race forever carving his fame into the muddy ruts of the Unadilla circuit.

With so much drama and history, can this year's race hold a candle?

Team Belgium is poised to regain dominance in the motocross world. Their team comprises the best motocross has to offer outside the United States: 2003 125, 250 and 500 world champions Steve Ramon, Stefan Everts and Joel Smets. Smets's determination is well known, but add to this the 2003 crescendo of Stefan Everts's incredible GP career, including 7 world titles (more than anyone, ever) and accumulating 72 GP race vioctories in the process, three of which came on the same day a few weeks ago in France at the series finale!

Did I mention the Zolder is a sand track?

The Americans have their hands full. Carmichael is obviously up to the task but must overcome at least two serious disadvantages. One, he will compete on a 250cc two-stroke which has a debilitating horsepower disadvantage against the 450cc machines of his many competitors. In the sand (think "starts"), this is a real problem. Second, there is only one deciding moto. Carmichael requires a good start if he is to have a shot against the Belgian sand masters. He won't get a second chance.

Luckily RC will be flanked by two very solid teammates in Timmy Ferry (Yamaha 450) and Ryan Hughes (KTM 450). Timmy has never competed in the MXdN, but he is fast, steady and not prone to making major mistakes. It can be argued Hughes may be a bit less reliable, but it can't be denied he contributed decisively to the winning American team in 2000.

The final touches are being put in place on the track in Belgium (Zolder MXdN website) and the teams are on their way. In a few days we will see the squaring off of two of this sports greatest legends, and I'll be there!

Videos and photos to follow the weekend of racing, so stay tuned!

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