Ryan Dungey primed for the start of Supercross season
Ryan Dungey had a nice offseason. Nice and short, anyway.
Like most motocross riders, Dungey took a few days off after the 2014 season finale in October before he began daily training for the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross season, which begins Saturday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. While participants in other forms of motorsports get antsy during long offseasons, motocross riders hardly step away from their bikes before they're back on them.
"When we're not riding, we're training," Dungey told Paste BN Sports. "It takes a special kind of person to do this. Even though it's nice to have a couple of weeks off, we're all right back into it as soon as we can. You can't let all those years that have built up get away from you. You're constantly building to be stronger and better."
Dungey, who made a splash by winning AMA supercross and motocross championships as a rookie in 2010, began working in the offseason with Aldon Baker, who has trained top riders like Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villopoto and James Stewart. Dungey's typical training sessions included intense cardio and strength training and — of course — constant riding.
"We generally focus on strength, cardio and the bike," Baker told Paste BN Sports. "Between all of that, we focus on nutrition. The season is so full and busy that you have to be in great condition. You have to balance everything — strength and fitness with flexibility and handling the motorcycle. There's quite a lot to piece together."
Fitness has become a primary selling point for Supercross and its cousins, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and Amsoil Arenacross. Feld Motor Sports, which promotes Supercross and Arenacross, emphasizes the athletic abilities — along with the riding skills — of its stars.
"The athleticism is very high in Supercross," Todd Jendro, vice president of two-wheel operations for Feld Motor Sports, told Paste BN Sports. "They're considered quite athletic when compared with other forms of stick and ball sports. The cardio numbers are very comparable. These guys are shifting hundred of times a lap but also maneuvering a 250-pound motorcycle. The track itself changes lap after lap. It takes a great deal of fitness and hand-eye coordination to do that at the highest level."
Villopoto, the four-time Supercross champion, announced in October that he'll compete for the FIM Motocross World Championship in MXGP in Europe in 2015, and his closest challengers — including Dungey, Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia and Andrew Short — are expected to battle for the 2015 Supercross championship.
Dungey, who finished second to Villopoto last season, spent the offseason trying to master a newer model KTM bike.
"Everything about what I was riding last year is different this year," Dungey said. "The engine is six pounds lighter, and the suspension is completely different than the old bike. The first time I got on it, I thought, 'Oh wow, this is not like the old bike at all.' It's a big step, but a couple of things that were considered downfalls with the old bike are now big improvements. We're just trying to fine-tune those areas."
One top rider who won't be competing Saturday is Stewart, who recently was suspended by FIM, the sport's governing body, for a failed drug test. Stewart is ineligible to compete until Aug. 11, 2015, long after the Supercross finale May 2 at Las Vegas and deep into the summer motocross season.
Stewart, who could not be reached for comment, is allowed to attend the events. "It's unfortunate," Jendro said. "He's allowed to attend Supercross events; he just can't compete in them."
Stewart remains positive in his social media posts.
"Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect," Stewart wrote Wednesday on Instagram. "It just means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections surrounding us."
Supercross will add two new venues — Petco Park in San Diego and Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. — to its schedule this season, as well as its first live daytime telecast on Fox when the series visits MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on April 25.
"It's our largest media package ever — 12 races live on Fox Sports 1 and three races live on Fox Sports 2 as well as broadcasting live from MetLife for the first time on Fox," Jendro said. "We decided to try to change the typical 7 p.m. program and go with a daytime network broadcast on the east coast. We think it will work well and reach a larger audience."
With any luck, the larger audience will notice the athleticism of the participants. For Dungey and his closest rivals, that's by design. And a product of short downtime.
"The fun stops for a minute and you're right back at it," Dungey said. "It's a year-round occupation, and next year starts right now."