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Antonio Cairoli - Time
repeats itself 25-08
Motocross - MX1/MX2
Back in 2005 a 19 year old Antonio Cairoli was making his first ever appearance
at the Lierop circuit and with the chance of winning his first ever FIM World
Motocross Championship the Italian rider proved more than capable of putting the
pressure behind him and wrapping up the World MX2 Championship.
With a 40 point lead over Australian rider Andrew McFarlane (Yamaha) the Italian
rider needed just a handful of points to clinch the World MX2 title and after
scoring 7-8 results he walked away with his first World number one plate.
"If I had to pick a race where I wanted to win the title it would have been
there," Cairoli told at the time. "I really like riding in the sand and because
I live close by in Belgium that area has become my second home. I hurt my left
wrist on the Saturday, and my ankle injury already made it hard to push in the
deep sand. I fought hard to make it happen and I kept on believing. In the first
race in 2005 I had a good start, but I could not follow the rhythm of the
leaders and I preferred to conserve my energy for the end of the race because
realized it was going to be hard. Two laps before the end my team informed me
that I had won the title and it was just the most amazing feeling ever. I was
happy to have won the title."
Some four years later the 23 year old Cairoli - now with two World MX2 titles to
his name - will arrive at Lierop looking for World title number three. The Red
Bull De Carli Yamaha rider has a handy 45 point lead over second placed rider
Max Nagl (Red Bull KTM Factory team) in the World MX1 Championship, and once
again it will take just a handful of points (more than Nagl) to clinch the
title.
The Italian has a pretty good record at Lierop, having finished second overall
in 2006 with 1-3 results and 45pts (he was actually equal first however lost the
overall after Christophe Pourcel went 3-1 but got the overall due to his better
second moto result). A year later Cairoli went 1-1 for the overall victory and
last year he missed the Grand Prix due to being injured.
Cairoli has enjoyed his time around the deep sandy Dutch circuit and can’t wait
to return this time around. It's not about winning the Grand Prix in Lierop, but
winning the title as the best MX1 rider in the World.
“It remains a great memory for me, winning the title in 2005 at Lierop,” Cairoli
said. “I would like to win there again as my fans will be able to see me win it.
If I wait until Brazil then it won’t have the same experience for my fans. Of
course whatever happens happens, but of course I like to win in Lierop.”
Whatever does happen at the Lierop circuit in this weekend you can be sure that
Cairoli will be giving it everything and not wanting to let his main rival Nagl
put any extra points on the series points lead. Cairoli might just once again
pull off a victory at the circuit that has already given him so much success. If
he can pull something out of the memory bank, he might just be rewarded with the
same result and Lierop will remain his place in the sun.
Photo: Antonio Cairoli in 2005 - Geoff Meyer image
Source: Geoff Meyer
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