Since Ricky Carmichael very publicly injured his shoulder during the AMA National Motocross race at Glen Helen over the weekend, much speculation has gone on regarding his fitness for competition in the Motocross des Nations. The MXdNs kick off next week in England, and Carmichael was to be the USA’s team captain, leading James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto into battle with the rest of the world’s MX greats.
As of today, RC is still unsure of whether his shoulder will allow him to compete, and so the AMA has taken the precaution of selecting Ivan Tedesco (RC’s Makita Suzuki teammate, incidentally) to attend the MXdN as an alternate, in case Ricky is unable to compete. Ivan’s selection makes sense – Makita Suzuki already has their factory bikes (with which Ivan is as familiar as Ricky) in Europe, and most likely all Tedesco would need to bring would be his own set of works suspension, calibrated specifically for his riding style. Bolted on to either of the bikes already at the event, this would create a machine basically identical to the one set up for Tedesco by the factory.
Of course, most Americans must be hoping that Ricky will feel up to riding – talented as Ivan Tedesco is, neither he nor anyone else currently participating in MX competition can match the accomplishments, skill, dedication and determination of the legendary RC. However, if Carmichael does end up sitting out the event, we’re confident that Tedesco can do the job of defending his country’s honor against other MX greats from around the world.
