Five Minutes with … Tyler Medaglia
JUNE 2, 2008

Suzuki/OTSFF/Rockstar's Tyler Medaglia is feeling good following a breakthrough performance at Gopher Dunes. TM went 3-1 for first overall in MX1 and now leads the championship.

By Danny Brault
Photos by James Lissimore

After winning his first-ever national moto and overall, Suzuki/OTSFF/Rockstar’s Tyler Medaglia now sits in the driver’s seat of the MX1 championship. While he tied in points with Dusty Klatt, Medaglia’s 3-1 gave him the overall, and a 12-point lead in the MX1 series over Klatt. Unfortunately, it wasn't the way TM wanted to take the points lead, as Colton Facciotti didn't race because of his shoulder injury (tuned out to be a broken collarbone) suffered in Ste-Julie, but he'll take it anyways. It definitely wasn’t an easy day for Medaglia on the toughest track in Canada. In the first moto, he jumped out to an early lead with Klatt and Keast in tow, eventually succumbing to both riders. In the second moto, Medaglia came from around 10th to first within three laps, and then opened up a comfortable gap over second place. As the halfway board came up, Medaglia started to feel pressure from Keast who was determined to earn his first national moto win, too. But the Suzuki rider remained strong to the finish and held on for the win. We caught up with TM shortly after the final moto.

RXC: Tyler, congrats on your first national moto win and first national overall!
Tyler Medaglia: It feels good!

I think my guy, Kyle Keast, would have had you covered, if he didn’t fall on the last lap, though.
Oh, yeah, you think so? I don’t know. I felt good that last little bit. I was going to push, and I didn’t care if I was going to puke—I was going to win that moto.

You really didn’t have a great start, but you sure worked your way into the lead quickly.
Yeah, I had a decent start, probably around 10th. I had good speed out there and worked my way around everybody and was coming into the corners really fast. I was charging, I charged out to the front and was all by myself for a little bit. I tried to ride a little conservative and then Keast reeled me in a bit and then I pulled away again a little bit. I almost went down near the end and he closed in, but I finished it off.

I would imagine it’s hard to stay relaxed with a grizzly bear like Keast coming up behind you.
I knew he was there, but if you’re winning these kinds of races, there is always going to be someone there. I felt him a little bit, but I was just focusing on my lines and what Steve [Simms] was telling me on the pit board.

Medaglia has been on the podium in all four motos of the first two rounds of the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals. His results read like this: 3-2-3-1.

I was talking with your dad during a moto today and he said that your brother, Jeremy, loves Gopher Dunes but you’re not a big fan of it. How the heck do you ride like that on a track you don’t like?
It’s weird; I rode well here but I used to struggle at the Dunes quite a bit. When I was in intermediate, this was one of the only tracks I really got beat at. I did terrible here last year and had some bad luck. This year, when I came on the 450, I just felt better on the big bike. I feel like I ride it really strong and smooth. I practiced in the sand this week, pretty much identical stuff with deep, endless sand and it paid off.

When you made your way into the lead, did just go for it and sprint like you did in Ste-Julie?
I was trying to pace myself. I didn’t want to do what I did at Ste-Julie when I got out front and sprinted hard the whole time, kind of out of control a bit, hanging on for dear life. This time, I tried to keep a fast pace, but know that it’s 30 minutes and I have lots of time.

What’s going on for the next two weeks until Morden?
I’m just going to keep training and riding hard. I’m going to travel to a place where there are more hard pack tracks. I might go down to New York and practice and I might go to a provincial this weekend.

Thanks, Tyler.
Thank you.