Monday Morning Coffee

By Billy Rainford

We’ve already had our final Frid’Eh Update of 2024 and now it’s the last Monday Morning Coffee. Josh Gedak tied Yanick Boucher in 2023 with 357 points, just 2 behind Anthony Spadaccini who grabbed the #52 and final spot with 359 points.

We’re back to #1 this coming Frid’Eh and guess what? With all the career numbers we don’t have a #1. Are riders as excited to get a career number as they were about getting a single-digit back in the day? As a fan of the sport, I’d rather see people fight for the specific numbers, not their favourites, but that’s just, like, my opinion, man. (Big Lebowski, sort of)

Here’s what we’re working with for 2025:

I like how Drew Adams slotted in there between all the career numbers with the dreaded #13.

If you have any good ideas for who we should interview for Week #1, let me know.

The 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross / Supermotocross preview was on Peacock yesterday. There was a lot of information in it and I jotted down a few things that jumped out at me:

Ricky Carmichael looks fit as a fiddle again.
Jason Weigandt is money.
Did you see the bicycle handlebars as the symbol of Tomac Ranch? Love it.
James Stewart doing the interview with Chase Sexton was good to see.
Hunter Lawrence has a very nice quiver of cars.
It was also pretty rare and enjoyable to see Eli Tomac at home with his family on camera.
Jason Thomas is committed to that hairdo.
I didn’t see my bald head anywhere in that entire broadcast.
Aaron Plessinger referring to himself as “just a big, hairy, racing machine” was funny.
Adam Cianciarulo is going to keep getting better at his on-camera job.
I can sum up what Jett Lawrence is going through with 2 clichés: “It’s lonely at the top” and “Everyone is your friend on the way up.”
Tucking his ears is the hill Cooper Webb will die on.
Haiden Deegan used to do 20-minute motos before going to school!
Jorgé Prado will be fun to watch improve this year. Can he win MX in year 1?
This will be the first time in history that we have 5 former 450 champions racing.

If you want to get the Video Pass to watch Supercross, Motocross, and the SMX Playoffs, you need to sign up for it HERE.

I talked about it in the Frid’Eh Update that we may have 6 Canadians lining up at A1:

Canadians at Anaheim 1 Supercross

We may have 6 Canadians to cover when we get to Anaheim 1 on January 11th! I can’t remember the last time we had that many riders trying to make the big show in 250 West!

Cole Thompson from Brigden, Ontario, is the wily veteran who will no doubt fly the Canadian Flag the highest in 250 West again for the Heartbeat Hot Sauce Leatt Solitaire Yamaha team this year. He’s had a great WSX Championship and AUS SX season leading up to Monster Energy AMA Supercross. If you check out his Instagram page, he’s still one of the smoothest riders you’re ever going to see.

Guillaume St Cyr from Victoriaville, Quebec, is the rider with the next highest amount of experience in the group. He and his GF https://www.instagram.com/annaxox/ will be at it again and “Guac” will keep working hard to put himself in the Main.

Noah Viney is from Ottawa, Ontario, but lives in MX Heaven in Murrieta, California. He’ll ride for the MotoConcepts Honda team and definitely has all the potential in the world. He’ll get great starts and then we’ll see if he can get himself into some Mains like we all know he is capable of.

Blake Davies from Mission, BC will make his debut on the MVP International Triumph team. He grew up in The Barn in Chilliwack so we all know he’s got the potential to blossom into a full-fledged SX rider. He’s got the height to skim a whoops section of any size and that will play into his hand as he gets more seat time. Obviously, there is no pressure on his as he goes into A1. The key for Blake will be to get comfortable.

Preston Masciangelo | Brown Dog Wilson photo

Preston Masciangelo from Brantford, Ontario, will also make his professional debut at A1. Preston will be with the AJE Motorsports GasGas team and should be ready to make a splash. He raced Futures and so he knows what these tracks look like. Again, for him, it will be learning the tracks fast and getting comfortable.

Julien Benek from Mission, BC is the question mark at this point. He crashed hard training in Georgia and is on the mend. We spoke with him a week ago and he said he’s about 50/50 on whether he’ll be good enough to race at A1. In true Julien fashion he said, “I won’t be at A1 to watch…”

Here’s our post about Julien from December 20th:

Julien Benek Injury Update

Mission, BC rider Julien Benek was training at the Triumph practice facility in Georgia this fall when he “nose-picked a triple” and hit the face of the following jump.

The crash resulted in a broken wrist. He also hit his head hard and did damage just above his knee.

His plan was to be on the line with his MVP Racing Team teammate Blake Davies at Anaheim 1 and to be honest he won’t say that still isn’t going to happen.

He’s been seeing a concussion specialist while waiting for his wrist to get better. He had the cast off last week, but the main problem he’s having right now seems to be just above his knee where the hit has been shutting off the nerve that works his vastus medialis muscle in his thigh.

He tried riding at his house but the pain was too high to make it worthwhile. But in true Julien fashion, he said if he’s at A1 “it won’t be to watch!” We tried for a percentage but all we can give him is 50/50 right now.

Heal up, Julien, and we’ll see you on the line when you’re ready.

They got Al Strickert up and out of his bed after his hip replacement surgery down in Tallahassee, Florida. I chatted with him this morning and here’s how he summed it up:

Yes, half throttle around my room. Feels good to get up on crutches and perform light exercises. No extending to the back and no out to the side. I’m not supposed to bend beyond a 90. Icing to get this swelling away from a major tendon that runs down the front quadricep. Would be much easier of a recovery if my previous herniated disc didn’t happen on the same side as the hip, as only half that right muscle functions on the outside quad. Can’t shave yet because of thinners and chance of bleeding.

Trying to stay here until noon tomorrow and Kevin (Thompson) to the rescue with Josh assisting with my gear order pick up at cvs pharmacy in Milton. I’m thinking I will still use it as crazy as life goes. That moto addiction is a tough one to beat. Don’t tell mother. 😉The wife wouldn’t be very surprised to see me on it again 👍

The doctor that did his surgery knows Ricky Carmichael and Davi Millsaps, so I’m sure he was in great hands.

Oh, and Kevin Thompson (Cole’s dad) is down in Florida and is going to drive 1 1/2 hours to pick Al up when he gets discharged today and take him to his van another distance away. What a guy!

2025 Motorcycle and Powersport Shows Schedule

It’s that time of year again, so let’s have a look at the Motorcycle and Powersport Shows schedule:

VANCOUVER – January 17-19 Tradex in Abbotsford

CALGARY – January 31 – February 2 BMO Centre Stampede Park

TORONTO – February 14 – 16 Enercare Centre Exhibition Place

MONTREAL – February 28 – March 2 Palais des congres de Montreal

2025 Overview

The Motorcycle and Powersport Shows are Canada’s premier rider consumer shows. Each year, The Motorcycle and Powersport Shows draw over 130,000+ motorcycle and powersport enthusiasts across Canada. The circuit kicks off in Vancouver and ends in Montréal with stops in Calgary, and Toronto. With record sales over the past two-years, new and experienced riders are eager to return to in-person shows and discover what’s new!

If you’re in the Toronto area and can’t wait for the Show, you can check out the North American Motorcycle SUPERSHOW at International Centre in Toronto, January 3-5.

I remember when the week between Christmas and New Year’s was the best week of the year. It seems to be losing its lustre as I get older. These have all just been days to take Olive the Aussiedoodle over to the dog park. It’s been raining pretty non-stop here in London, so it hasn’t been great. Emily and I got all dressed up in rain gear with a Leatt and a KTM umbrella and let Olive run around in the muck yesterday. To our surprise, we weren’t the only crazy dog owners there! Olive had some of her best runs with a really nice female husky.

We knew going into it that it meant we were going straight from the car and into the bathtub with her when we got home, but it was worth it.

I’ll always remember the first day of 1985 when we were able to go riding at Shaws Dairy Dell in north London. It was one of the rare New Year’s Days when we didn’t have snow and it was above freezing, so a few of us took advantage and went for it. Well, it was 11 C here yesterday, so we may be heading for another year where we can go riding in SWO on Wednesday.

I just looked at the forecast and it says 7 today, 4 Tuesday, and only 1 with some snow on New Year’s Day, so I don’t think it’s going to happen. Not to mention it hasn’t really stopped raining in about 36 hours!

happy New Year, everyone. Have a fun and safe time and I’ll see you at Angels Stadium of Anaheim in less than 2 weeks. Keep an eye out for that dang bald head getting in the way!