Ryan Hughes has seen it all. A racer from one of the golden era’s in American motocross, the era of Team USA thumping the Grand Prix riders time after time. The rider known as Ryno also raced Grand Prix motocross in the Stefan Everts era, won at Grand Prix level, and was also had big success in the AMA Nationals, fighting for championships in the 125cc class on a few occasions.

Hughes grew up in Escondido, California, just 30 miles from San Diego, and right in the middle of American motocross heaven. Having ridden for Team USA in 1995 and 2000, Hughes felt defeat and victory at the toughest motocross event in the World, losing to Belgium in 1995 and winning with Ricky Carmichael and Travis Pastrana in France in 2000.

Hughes has won both AMA indoor main events and AMA motocross nationals and was known as one of the toughest and hardest men on the World scene. Now as a riding coach he works with MXoN champion and multiple GP winner Glenn Coldenhoff. We sat down with Ryno and asked him what has been happening.

MXLarge: Welcome back to the GPs, and how is it to be back?

Hughes: Well, it is good to be back to see old friends like yourself and people who have been in this sport for such a long time. I like uniqueness, because uniqueness is beauty and Europe, I get a lot of that because every country you go to has that, with its different food, different language, different architecture. I see at the track the professionalism has risen, of the sport, the riders and the organization. The riders have become more technical in Europe, learnt a lot from America and their ability to race motocross all the time has taken them to another level. When I came the first time as a racer everyone showed me respect and now, I come here as a coach, I get that same respect. I am happy to be in Europe.

MXlarge: Working with Glenn, a rider who has really burst into life in the last 18 months, with 1-1 at Redbud MXoN and then again at Assen 1-1 at the MXoN, and also a couple of GP wins. Where can you help Glenn?

Hughes: Glenn had a bit of inconsistency and then he comes out and shocks everybody. You know there is something special in there, but why it isn’t coming out all the time. I told him when I said I would work with him, that I would pick him apart, because that is what I am good at. I can look at anyone and find their weakness. He is the type of person who will take everything I say and use it. We work well together, and it isn’t like pulling teeth, with Glenn it is about fine tuning him, because when you are at that level, it isn’t changing people, but fine tuning. We are fine tuning his technique, fine tuning his mind set, fine tuning his nutrition, his training, all these types of things, not changing anything, just fine tuning.

MXlarge: He was already pretty fast, and at the end of last season could have won four GPs had it not been for Herlings taking them off him, but he was close to getting four. So, he was already really high, can you mention you have had to improve with him?

Hughes: Right now, I am being a little cautious, because I haven’t been here long. We have talked over the phone and things, so I know how he riders and practices so I never saw how he races, just on TV and what I could see. So, I am standing back, learning his weakness and what his gifts are. The biggest thing to me is a little bit technique, training approach and mind set. Your speed is only as good as your technique allows and I would rather be a confident rider than a good rider.

MXLarge: If I speak to guys, like Marc De Reuver, or other former riders who now train or coach, and they have been there and done it, and made a lot of mistakes along the way and know how to stop those mistakes happening. You had a good career but probably made a lot of mistakes, so how do you deal with that when you see a rider make a mistake?

Hughes: That depends on the coach. How big is your ego to identify, dissect and figure out that you did things wrong? A lot of guys egos are too big to do that. I never tell a rider I am going to teach him how I did it, I am going to teach them better than the way I did it, because I did studied and dissected all the places I went wrong. Of course, what I made a mistake of 20 years ago doesn’t work now, because the sport has changed, and I have changed the sport in technique. The bikes have changed, and we need to evolve with that. We can’t teach them how we did it, because that is old ways. Saturday at Matterley Basin I was watching him and he didn’t look right, and I went and talked to him that I remember having that mind set when I raced, and that is what I looked like when I had that mind set and he said that is what I was doing, he had the same mind set, so he changed that mind set on Sunday.

MXLarge: What is Glenn’s strong point and his weak point?

Hughes: Strong point he is very patient, smooth and softness on the motorcycle. His weak point, maybe some self-belief and that is normal in this sport. I don’t know any rider who is 100% confident.

MXLarge: Is the mind-set to be World champion in 2020, or top three, what is his mind-set?

Hughes: He said I can’t win the World championship unless you come here, so that is his mind-set.

MXLarge: Once the season gets going again, will you be here all season?

Hughes: I had a four-month plan, so we had a deal for May 31 (Hughes has returned home due to the coronavirus), and I didn’t want a bunch of pressure on me or him. I mean I have left my house, my friends, my kids, my lovers, I left everything at home. I came here to take the challenge and that is the goal. Somebody has to win it, so why not us.

MXlarge: You have races AMA Nationals, AMA supercross, FIM World Motocross Championship, Motocross of Nations, so you are a guy who know what goes around on both sides of the Atlantic. It seems Europe has total control at the moment over the American riders. A lot of people in America say it is supercross, but I don’t believe that, because supercross was always there and always the most important part of the sport there. You do have a one-day motocross series now, which has probably hurt the riders for motocross, but what is your opinion on it?

Hughes: I would say a few things. One, maybe the one day motocross has hurt a little, because we don’t have as much time out there, two, the Europeans have gotten better technically, so that has helped them a lot, but to me, the biggest thing is the weather. The last three have been in weather the GP riders love, but if we took the des Nations and put it in 115 degree weather, then we might see something different, the Americans will win it, but the biggest thing, our last National is a month before the des Nations and if you take a race horse and put him in the stall and then take him out to race after a month of standing in the stall, then he will be a tick behind and a tick behind is a second a lap and that is huge in motocross. These guys are coming in a little stale and the GP guys are coming straight from a GP. Anyone who wants to argue Herlings is faster than Tomac, or Tomac is faster than Herlings, that is bullshit, because both these guys can ride a motorcycle faster than anyone. I think it is more the weather and time of the year. What is Team USA go to Ernee and win, then we shut that conversation down. It depends on the day and the conditions.