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Supercross & Motocross
SX: The Holeshot - Anaheim II
Is Ryan Villopoto positioning himself to take control of this year's Monster Energy Supercross title fight?
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto (Photo: Hoppenworld.com)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 6 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship from San Diego, CA will air LIVE on SPEED Saturday, February 11 at 10:30pm ET. #SXonSPEED
The season's second stop in Anaheim was a case of déjà vu for the bulk of the Monster Energy Supercross field. Much like he did one month ago to kick off the season, Ryan Villopoto ran away from his competitors to (re)take control of the championship points lead and provide himself with a nice wave of momentum heading into the next round.
While Villopoto reestablishing himself at the top of the pecking order significant in itself, perhaps more important was the fact that he became the first repeat winner in the premier class this season in the process.
Looking at the numbers, the first rider to win two races in a season has gone on to win the championship 60% of the time during the long 38-year history of Supercross. Simply put, the odds are now in Villopoto’s favor as he makes his bid to repeat as World Champion, an accomplishment that hasn't been pulled off since Ricky Carmichael managed to do so back in 2006.
Is that to say that it’s time to bet on Villopoto to carry this through to the finish? Naah… it's still to early to make such a claim. Typically, the sport only sees a pair of riders with a realistic shot of winning on any given weekend. In fact, during the heydays of Carmichael and McGrath, even having one rider capable of challenging them consistently seemed rather far-fetched.
However, during this golden era there are four legitimate contenders to claim race wins and take home the title. With three elite riders to beat consistently over the next 12 weeks, there’s no way I’d bank on Villopoto just yet, but his chances are certainly looking up.
The season's second stop in Anaheim was a case of déjà vu for the bulk of the Monster Energy Supercross field. Much like he did one month ago to kick off the season, Ryan Villopoto ran away from his competitors to (re)take control of the championship points lead and provide himself with a nice wave of momentum heading into the next round.
While Villopoto reestablishing himself at the top of the pecking order significant in itself, perhaps more important was the fact that he became the first repeat winner in the premier class this season in the process.
Looking at the numbers, the first rider to win two races in a season has gone on to win the championship 60% of the time during the long 38-year history of Supercross. Simply put, the odds are now in Villopoto’s favor as he makes his bid to repeat as World Champion, an accomplishment that hasn't been pulled off since Ricky Carmichael managed to do so back in 2006.
Is that to say that it’s time to bet on Villopoto to carry this through to the finish? Naah… it's still to early to make such a claim. Typically, the sport only sees a pair of riders with a realistic shot of winning on any given weekend. In fact, during the heydays of Carmichael and McGrath, even having one rider capable of challenging them consistently seemed rather far-fetched.
However, during this golden era there are four legitimate contenders to claim race wins and take home the title. With three elite riders to beat consistently over the next 12 weeks, there’s no way I’d bank on Villopoto just yet, but his chances are certainly looking up.
SX Seattle
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