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2025 GP line up/wildcards


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9 hours ago, TheReturn said:

How the hell does the SEC have a route to the GP series? We need open qualifiers that any rider, could theoretically qualify for.  Not closed shops or wildcard picks for sponsors monster mates. 

The selection is a farce right now. 

What you talking about... they even "invited" Australian Max Fricke to compete in a round of the European Championship!

If they want to have a feeder series, you're right, it should be open to all.

Edited by IainB
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9 hours ago, TheReturn said:

How the hell does the SEC have a route to the GP series? We need open qualifiers that any rider, could theoretically qualify for.  Not closed shops or wildcard picks for sponsors monster mates. 

The selection is a farce right now. 

Scrap top 6 automatically qualifying? Two GP challenges (semi-finals)-top 8 from each qualifying for GP series?. How to select the 32 for the challenges?. 

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I think there needs to be a bit of a history lesson.

The FIM Europe SEC under One Sport was an open event for GP riders to ride in qualifiers and in the series. They pay a pittance to the FIME compared to the GP contract and quite rightly the GP promoters were not happy. 
Therefore it was agreed that the SEC winner would get a place in the GP’s( only the winner- if the winner qualifies by another route 2nd does not get in). GP riders cannot enter the qualifiers or be the series wildcards and can only stay in it if they finish in the top 5 of the series finals.- ie if Michelsen gets a GP wildcard in 2025 then he won’t be in the SEC.

I think it was a fair compromise and leaves the SEC as the secondary competition albeit with a route to the GP.

I also think no one can complain about top 4 in Challenge getting into GP especially as  GP is over when it takes place so all 16 riders know that a quarter of them will be GP riders in 2025.

Edited by racers and royals
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21 hours ago, Daniel Smith said:

Don't want to see Madsen anywhere near the series in 25, he's done at this level now. I'd prefer youth brought in.

I'd like to see a mix up next year, bring in some kids.

SGP Top 6

Challenge top 4

SGP2 Top 3

Wildcards 2

Have to say I think that's a terrible idea, it "should" be for the best riders in the world. If the SGP2 riders are good enough they can qualify.

I'd support the SGP2 Champ being seeded to the GP Challenge, but not straight into the GP.

Much prefer only having 2 wildcards though.

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11 hours ago, TheReturn said:

How the hell does the SEC have a route to the GP series? We need open qualifiers that any rider, could theoretically qualify for.  Not closed shops or wildcard picks for sponsors monster mates. 

The selection is a farce right now. 

It's not ideal that the SEC is a qualifier for the SGP as "normally" Aussies & yanks etc can't compete in it. But I far prefer it to wild cards!

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One thing I have noticed is people thinking riders near the bottom of the series haven't been good enough & don't deserve to be in the GPs. But if the GP hosted the 15 best riders in the world, the guy in 15th place, would still be better than anyone not in the series.

Not that this was the case this year, as it looked the weakest GP field of recent memory (perhaps ever).

Simple solution would be getting rid of wild cards (or limiting them further).

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23 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

One thing I have noticed is people thinking riders near the bottom of the series haven't been good enough & don't deserve to be in the GPs. But if the GP hosted the 15 best riders in the world, the guy in 15th place, would still be better than anyone not in the series.

Not that this was the case this year, as it looked the weakest GP field of recent memory (perhaps ever).

Simple solution would be getting rid of wild cards (or limiting them further).

Wozniak, Woffinden and Kvech are definitely not in the top 15 riders in the world atm. I just want the best 15 riders in the world competing ultimately, you have politics at play regarding two of the best 3 riders in the world birthplace but you even get politics come into it when there is an energy drinks company deciding who they want in the series!

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2 hours ago, JoeW436 said:

when there is an energy drinks company deciding who they want in the series!

Do they though? They're not even the series sponsor anymore, just a "partner" I don't think they sponsor any particular GP (could be wrong) their visibility at GP's is much less than it used to be, they seem to concentrate their sponsorship on riders these days. 

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3 hours ago, JoeW436 said:

Wozniak, Woffinden and Kvech are definitely not in the top 15 riders in the world atm. I just want the best 15 riders in the world competing ultimately, you have politics at play regarding two of the best 3 riders in the world birthplace but you even get politics come into it when there is an energy drinks company deciding who they want in the series!

I've a feeling we will see Woffy back in next season !

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There's obviously a desire for Discovery Sports to have a wider range of nationalities represented to appeal to a wider audience. 

The top 16 riders in the world arguably come from only 6 countries. That doesn't feel like a World Championship.

Trouble is how do you spread the allocation without watering down the standard?

One obvious solution would be to increase the number of competitors.

I enjoyed the covid double header Friday and Saturday night rounds. Why not have at each round 20 permanent riders plus 4 wildcards (or variations on that). Top 8 in the previous GP qualify for the next Saturday night GP, bottom 8 and the 4 other permanent riders plus the 4 wildcards enter the Friday night GP qualifier. The top 8 qualify for the Saturday night GP. 

Arguably the top 20 riders still come from the same 6 countries but as long as you have the top 16 riders in place you can offer the other four permanent places to a Latvian, a Czech, a German and maybe an American? 

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The cold facts are that the main s/way leagues  are Poland ,Sweden ,Denmark and the UK so it's envitable that the bulk  riders are going to come from these countries  .we have a number Aussie riders( based in Europe )the rest represent other s/way nations accordingly  .

The standard of riders IMO overall is fairly even with the exception of one stand -out rider at this moment in time ,I am not against W/C's just who sometimes gets them but you can't please all the people all the time .

Reputations and former achievements will always taint the selection process !

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