Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1193082
2019 AMA/FIM 450SX WORLD SUPERCROSS CHAMPION COOPER WEBB P104 Interview two weeks later, I raced Washougal, and then got injured at Unadilla, which was kind of a bummer. But at the same time, it was one of those things where luckily it wasn't worse. I think we just finally got a good handle on things. But it is tough. Outdoors the tracks are so different. There're so many different elements ever y weekend that you strive to tr y to get a good base setting, but then it just changes so much. Then we're behind on motos, so you want to play catch-up on the motos but then how much testing do you do? It's a tough line, but it's nice to kind of learn from mistakes. I think this year we will be a lot more on it. Looking back, I don't think we could have done it any other way. Supercross was the impor tant par t. That was the goal. Nothing else mattered at that point. It's defi- nitely a tough turnaround." But considering that Webb thought 2019 was going to be a building year for him to get used to training with Aldon Baker, and get used to his new motorcycle and his team, to come away with a supercross title and an outdoor 1-1 win was far beyond expectations. THE A-TEAM The first piece of the 2019 championship puzzle came when Webb signed with Red Bull KTM. "It was an eye-opening experience just seeing how committed they were with their testing and bike setup and how much not only Roger [De- Coster] and Ian [Harrison] do, but the mechanics to the suspension guys," Webb says. "Everybody on the team was so educated on the motorcycle and so in-tune with it. Definitely, I've learned a lot being around those people that are just so dang smart. I've learned a lot from them." And then there's Aldon Baker's program. "The training was a whole new ballgame for me," Webb says. "It was something that, quite frankly, coming in, I wasn't sure about. I wasn't sure if I could handle it. Get- ting here [Florida] and getting the first year down and dusted was really an accomplishment in its own. I felt like I gave it my all every day and learned a lot. Obviously, my fitness was at an amazing level this year. That's something that I'm stoked about, and that's something that I felt like, com- ing to KTM, that I could be better at was my fitness." And now Webb is headed into his second year on the same motorcycle, and Baker has always said that racers who train with him don't achieve their peak fitness until their second year. "Coming into year two just kind of having a base setup, knowing a good starting point and knowing where we can be better and kind of understanding the way that KTM works—the good, the bad of the bike—and just kind of understanding it more, that's huge," Webb says. "Coming in just with the training aspect, another year stronger, in theory, being with Aldon, I've