Prado - Come Back To Europe
It is easy for the American public to assume that because riders like Jorge Prado are not winning, that the American series is stronger, but what a lot of American public might not know, is how tough it is to compete outside your comfort zone, away from family and friends.
That is something the top American riders hardly ever have to deal with and I can tell you, as somebody who travelled to Europe back in the 1990s from Australia, you need to toughen up quickly, without those who love you being hands on.
When Jorge Prado mentioned he was moving to America, my gut feeling was, he isn’t going to enjoy being there. Sure, the French love America, as do the Aussies, South African’s and New Zealanders, but other Europeans, not so much. The culture and communication is totally different.
Even those who love living in America, riders like Ken Roczen, Chad Reed, David Vuillemin, Marvin Musquin, Greg Albertyn, Grant Langston that have moved there to live full-time, those early years would have been tough.
Many headed there with their girlfriend, or even family members and that makes a hell of a difference, but it is still very, very different. Roczen had his father there, Reed and Musquin their girlfriends, and Langston his family. Tom Vialle is there with his family, as is Prado, but it is still tough to get used to the food, the weather, the culture and so much more.
If I had to go through the riders who I think would have been huge legends in Europe, I would have to say Ben Townley, Greg Albertyn, Grant Langston, and Ken Roczen all had the potential to become all-time greats in Europe and while they all won major titles (apart from BT), their total AMA championship tally pales into significance what they would have done in Europe.
When Stefan Everts retired in 2006, a year after Ben Townley moved to USA, I think the door was open for the New Zealander to grab a bunch of MXGP championships. In my opinion, he was as good or better than Antonio Cairoli, and we all know that the legendary Italian has nine World motocross championships and 94 GP wins. In my opinion, he would have a lot less had BT stuck around.
Same goes with Prado, who very possibly would have dominated the MXGP class for a number of years. He showed last year, he IS the man in Europe and instead, he is a bit of a broken athlete at the moment, and it’s hard to know if he can recover.
Does he stay with Kawasaki and struggle, does he return to KTM for a huge reduction in his sign on fee? Either way, he might never be the same again. The mental barrier he has gone through, the at times humbled by the leading AMA riders, which can damage anyone. At times the American media have humiliated him, his fault or not, Jorge Prado is a very proud young man and these negative vibes that he has had to deal with, just isn’t something that makes a guy strong.
I never felt Prado was going to beat Jett Lawrence for a championship, but I did think if anyone was going to beat Lawrence straight up in races, it would be Prado. As it turns out, it has been Chase Sexton, who is believed to be heading to Kawasaki next year as Prado’s team-mate. If Sexton can get along with the green machine and Prado still struggles, then the hole the Spaniard is in, is a deep one.
I just wish Prado would return to Europe, race for KTM and return to his rightful place at the top of the MXGP class and add at least a fifth World title and a 50th GP to his name, because he belongs in the same lists as Everts, Cairoli, Herlings, Roberts, De Coster, Gajser, Jobe, Smets and Geboers. Where he is now in America, well, he just doesn't belong there.
The only Euro to really master the AMA series was J. M. Bayle and outside of him, only Pierre Karsmakers has won an AMA supercross championship, while Langston, Albertyn, Townley, and many others were just cannon fodder for the Americans indoors.