Cianciarulo and Tomac Leave Sin City Seeing Green at Monster Energy Cup

After an incredibly impressive showing at Saturday night’s Monster Energy Cup, the supremely talented duo from Monster Energy Kawasaki has officially put the racing world on alert heading into the 2020 season. For the second year in a row, the “green team” landed both of its riders on the podium inside Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium, and while the thrill of a million-dollar jackpot eluded both Eli Tomac and his new teammate Adam Cianciarulo this time around, being able to go head-to-head for victory and end the night with a 1-2 sweep was a nice consolation.

A year ago, Tomac was forced to track down and pass his premier class rookie teammate, which successfully carried him to the “Monster Million.” A similar situation presented itself again on Saturday night, but Tomac came up on the short end of the equation in his bid to not only become the first back-to-back winner at the event, but also build on his distinction as the winningest rider in Monster Energy Cup history. Instead, Cianciarulo did the unthinkable, outrunning his superstar teammate to emerge victorious in his first ever start aboard the big bike.

The hype was real coming into Las Vegas, as Cianciarulo’s anticipated move to the 450cc division and his personal “rebrand” with a new single-digit career number made him arguably the hottest story of the weekend. Even with all the attention, a win still seemed like it might be a little out of reach given all the variables surrounding an event that intentionally entices on-track chaos. When you also consider that a win would very likely entail withstanding a relentless pursuit by Tomac, the odds became more of something you’d thrown some money down on at a Vegas sportsbook; not a sure thing, but tempting enough to buy into in hopes of cashing in. Everything had to go right, and while he wasn’t without some hiccups, Cianciarulo couldn’t have asked for a better start to his 450cc career.

Fresh off a breakthrough summer in which the world was finally able to bear witness to the Florida native’s true potential, Cianciarulo carried tons of momentum and confidence into his debut. The questions surrounding his ability to win a title were gone. The pressures of living up to the sport-altering talent he showed as an amateur had been washed away. And, most importantly, the doubts that festered deep inside his psyche after years of injury and heartbreak were vanquished. The Adam Cianciarulo that joined Monster Energy Kawasaki for the 2020 season and beyond is a new rider. Someone who sees nothing but opportunity ahead of him, and is motivated to go bar-to-bar alongside the likes of Tomac, Ken Roczen, Marvin Musquin, and Cooper Webb, with hopes of one day achieving the type of success they’ve all enjoyed.

The carefree and optimistic mindset that Cianciarulo carried into the Monster Energy Cup was perfect for the specific scenario it presents. The three Main Event format is always a defining factor in the outcome, as is the infamous Joker Lane. Mistakes often prove costly in this event, and the added wrinkle of three different track layouts for each respective race only enhanced that idea. In the end, mistakes were made, but it was how a rider bounced back from those mistakes that ultimately decided who came away with the $100,000 check as winner.