As Italian legend Antonio Cairoli heads into his final crack at an FIM Motocross World Championship over the next two weeks, the Sicilian must be feeling a little sentimental. Five rounds of MXGP action and all in his beloved Italy.
It was back in 2004, some 18 years ago, that he burst onto the world scene, battling the likes of Ben Townley, Tyla Rattray and Marc De Reuver. A podium finish at Valkenwaard in Holland and then his first GP victory at Namur in Belgium. Third place in the championship with 447pts and behind only Townley and Rattray. The future was his and he grabbed it with both hands.
A year later and the De Carli Yamaha rider scored his first world title in a fight with Australian Andrew McFarlane. The two Yamaha rider fought right to the end of the season, although the Italian finished with 567 points, nearly 50 more than McFarlane. In a fitting top three, another Italian, Alessio Chiodi finished in third place on 504 points, Chiodi the three-time 125cc World champion handing the leadership of Italian motocross to his younger countryman.
Despite starting the 2006 MX2 championship being very inconsistent, Cairoli pushed eventual world MX2 champion Christophe Pourcel down to the last round of the championship in Ernee, France. Pourcel scoring 581 points to 563 from Cairoli and they locked bars on several occasions in France that day, Cairoli not handing his title to the Frenchman easily.
A championship just missed, but a rivalry that was beautiful to watch. Again fitting, third in that years MX2 championship was another Italian in David Philippaerts, who would go on to win an MX1 world championship in 2008 a title that would be handed to Cairoli in 2009.
Cairoli would return to the number one spot in 2007 when he beat Red Bull KTM factory rider Tommy Searle in a season that the Italian dominated. Starting the season with five 1-1 scores and ending the season with 10 1-1 results. His championship points haul being 660 to Searles 501. Third in 2007 was defending champion Pourcel, this time no match for Cairoli.
2008 was a tough year for Cairoli as a knee injury in South Africa saw him drop out of the championship, and that title went to Tyla Rattray. Cairoli would fight back though when he moved to the MX1 class in 2009 and beat defending champion David Philippaerts, although his biggest rival was Max Nagl, the final scores being 561 for Cairoli, and 525 for Nagl.
From the moment the little Italian moved to the bigger bikes, he dominated the sport, winning titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was moving closer to the all-time great of grand prix motocross, Stefan Everts. Cairoli had also accumulated 73 grand prix victories in that period of total control over his rivals. It seemed he would in no time at all become the greatest grand prix rider of all time.
What was meant to be his greatest season ever, Cairoli went up against American champion Ryan Villopoto in 2015, however both went out injured in the early stages.
Again, losing a championship in 2016, this time to young HRC rider Tim Gajser and just two GP wins in that season it was seeming more and more likely that the Italian legend was nearly the end of his amazing career. Many wrote him off, but in typical immortal status, he fought back to collect his ninth world title and his 83rd GP victory in 2017
Since that victorious season though, injuries and with a much younger competition, the results started becoming more difficult. In the seasons of 2018, 2019, 2020 and now 2021, he has picked up 10 GP wins, but no championships. Now, as retirement calls, this amazing athlete is still in the championship picture, but has an uphill battle to win title number 10 and add to that 93 GP victories, but I think even at the age of 36, he relishes the challenge and we already learnt not to write him off.
You can also be sure, when the final flag falls on his full-time career at Mantova in Italy on November 10, he will be gritting his teeth and trying to score another victory. Another thing is sure, the masses will be cheering from the spectator area and from the GP paddock. This little guy from Sicily has earnt every single applause.
Photo Credit – MXGP
