Photos by: Ray Archer
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Antonio Cairoli is cruising to his ninth world motocross championship, an amazing feat and one that will claw him closer to the King, Stefan Everts in the all-time winners list.
While Cairoli didn’t win last weekend, he also didn’t lose too many points on second placed man Jeffrey Herlings (who did win). With nearly 100-point lead and just 200 points available from the last four races, it seems impossible for anyone to catch the eight-time world champion.
David Bulmer, our guy in Switzerland caught up with Cairoli and asked him about his performance, and also talked about the USGP and Team USA.
Saturday you got a qualification race win, and you mentioned you like the track. What did you like about it?
I like it, because it’s very technical, a lot of ruts, a lot of lines around the track, and also some good jumps, not dangerous ones. It is one of the hard pack tracks I like a lot.
How did you feel about the Sunday?
I’m definitely happy with the result because it’s very good for the championship, but I’m not so happy with the race itself, because everyone wants to win and nobody more than me. In the second moto, I rode a little too carefully and when you ride so carefully at the start, on this kind of track, then it’s easy to make mistakes. I made a few early on and I lost a lot of time, then I just couldn’t pass the two riders in front of me. If I could have then the win was still on. I’ve just got to be more aggressive at the beginning of the race but I slipped in a few places and I over jumped the big table top, landing on the flat, luckily not crashing. Overall, I’m not so happy with my riding in the second moto but I’m happy for the Grand Prix because it’s always good to be on the podium. We are approaching the end of the season; the title is getting closer and closer and that is our only goal at the moment. I look forward to the next race in Sweden, where I hope we can be on the box once again.
We raced Loket, then Lommel and then here, three very different tracks you could say?
Yes, we have had good tracks lately. Loket was one of the best tracks ever there, it rained there and the track got a lot of moisture so it was fun to ride there also. Some years its rock hard and slippery.
You must enjoy the different surfaced the track bring?
Yes, I enjoy it a lot. I have to say I put away the sand a little this year, I gave up some training in the sand, to prepare myself better for hard pack, where I struggled in past years. So, I stay less in Belgium, and more in Italy riding hard pack tracks. So, the results come on the hard pack.
We had three real sand tracks this year with Lommel, Assen, and Ottobiano, and a lot of hard pack, is that also part of the reason?
Yes, that is also part of the reason. I spent a lot of time in Belgium when I was young, and I wouldn’t say I am over being there, because if you want to be fast on the sand, you have to be there. We don’t have many sand races, so I prefer riding more hard pack tracks than sand.
You have paid your dues, done your time, now you can enjoy riding where you want to ride?
Yes, for sure, and I like to ride the hard pack, I start to enjoy it even, because we fixed some things on the bike. The bike is better than before, I have a good feeling with the suspension now. I used to ride in the sand a lot, because it helped the bikes development. Now finally its 18 months and we improved the bike a lot, and I enjoy riding the KTM on hard pack.
The American track for the USGP looks a little bit sandy, you looking forward to that challenge.
It looks a little bit sandy, but I don’t think you need sand riding skills for that track.
Are you looking forward to that race? Last year you were coming back from injury, maybe the championship is out of the way and try and win that race against the Americans?
For me it isn’t important. For many years it isn’t important to compare myself to the Americans. The have supercross and their national tracks are completely different to our tracks, also for them to race in Europe its different. To come to a GP for one race, they don’t do it, because the tracks are too different. Maybe the track at the USGP is similar to a national track, and for sure we are not trying to kill ourselves to try and beat the Americans. If it’s possible we try and stay in front, otherwise we try and get a good result, maybe a podium.
Team USA have been selected, are you surprised by any of the picks, or are you disappointed, how do you feel about them?
I just saw the team in the press room. They have so many riders to pick and Tomac, I am not sure why he is not racing, normally he is the best there, at the moment, so normally he should race if he has no injury. But if he decided not to race, it is his decision and they pick the second best one, which is Seely, because Anderson is also injured. Osborne is riding very good, and its good they take Covington, also in MX2 they have good choices, but Covington is riding Grand Prix and putting a lot of effort into the world championship, so it’s good they pick him.
