Red Bull KTM Factory rider Antonio Cairoli isn’t just a little special. We already know what he has done in the sport, and that alone makes him pretty close to being the greatest Grand Prix rider of all time. Of course—stats wise—Stefan Everts is still the man, but the Sicilian is closing in fast on the Belgian and his records.
Just as he did in Ottobiano, Italy two weeks ago, last weekend Cairoli showed the young charger Jeffrey Herlings how it’s done. Both riders getting a moto win, and both getting a second-place finish, but it was Cairoli who showed his vast experience with a clinical ride in the second moto, breaking away from Herlings early and controlling the race from the front
Now with 82 Grand Prix victories to his name, and heading towards his ninth world motocross championship, the KTM rider continues to show us just how great he really is.
Like Joel Robert, Roger DeCoster, Georges Jobe, Eric Geboers, Joel Smets, or Stefan Everts before him, his talent isn’t just in winning races and Grand Prix’s, but showing the world what is possible, when we all think it isn’t.
With a 91 point lead over second placed man Clement Desalle in the series points, 94 point lead over third placed man Gautier Paulin, and 95 points over Jeffrey Herlings, the Italian can really be careful in the following races in Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, USA, Holland, and France, but the question is, will he?
He seems intent on showing the world, he still has the speed to match anyone in the sport, even that young lion Herlings.
I was once again honours to speak to the current King of GP racing, and he once again gave us some really interesting answers.
Antonio, how did you feel last weekend?
I felt really good, it’s the first time I’ve won in Portugal with KTM, so I’m really happy with that, and it’s also the first time that I’ve won two races (GPs) in a row this year.
How did you feel in the opening moto?
In the first moto, after a really good start, I was struggling a little bit as I just couldn’t find a good rhythm and Jeffrey, who was faster in some sections of the track, passed me. After a period of chasing him down I started to feel a bit tired and he managed to pull a good gap on me, despite my best efforts. Eventually I started to feel better and I managed to close in on him, but it was too late to try for the victory.
And the second moto?
In the second moto I was feeling good, I found some better lines and did my best to pull away. By two thirds distance I had a decent gap that, happily, I was able to manage until the finish line. I’m really pleased with how the Championship is going and I’m looking forward to the races that are coming up soon.
What will you do between now and Loket?
Now I will take a week of rest and then we will be training and testing on the hard pack in Italy, before heading to Loket at the end of the month. My thoughts go to my family and to all the people that live in my home town of Patti, that suffered a disastrous fire during the week.
I am not sure how you saw the weekend before in Italy, but to me I think it was a pretty special moment in your career, because you fought off the young lion (Jeffrey Herlings) and was able to fight him off. How did you feel?
No, it was not really a special moment. It’s a race like the other ones. He is one opponent just like the others. For sure he is a good sand rider and its good we could fight there. Its normally a good track for him, but also for me, because I like soft ground.
I remember two years ago, when you were in the middle of your two years of injury. A lot of us wrote you off, me included, but you said to me we haven’t seen the best of Antonio Cairoli. Are we seeing the best Antonio Cairoli now, or is the best to come?
No, it is still coming. For sure we are leading the championship, so we can not to strange or stupid things, so we cannot go on the limit, we cannot risk anything. We are on a good level, but for sure we are not on the limit.
But is this the best Antonio Cairoli until now? Better than 2005, or 2009, or all those other years?
It’s always better. I think you must improve, otherwise you can better stop. If you don’t grow, you go backwards and I always want to grow, I want to improve, otherwise I stop. If I have to ride for fifth, sixth or eighth place, then I stop. While I am still fighting for the win, that means I am still growing, because the others are also growing, every year they get better.
Watching Ottobiano unfold I was thinking maybe Jeffrey was waiting to pounce, but when he did it seemed that you were actually waiting to make your break. Was your plan to let him think he was going to be able to get you and then run away?
It’s just, I have some experience, for some years. He is younger than me and he has less experience. Sometimes you need to see what others are doing, why they are catching you, maybe he had better lines, so for me it was important to watch what he was doing and why was he fast in some spots. I wasn’t waiting, just wanting to see what he had in the tank.
How important is the mental side, maybe more than 50%?
I think the mental side is very important. You can be the most talented guy, or the most trained rider, but mentally, you need to know yourself, you need to know your limits and that is very important, to know when you can push.
Everybody things Jeffrey is the next big thing, the guy to replace you when you stop. You have been the guy for the last 12 years. What do you think?
I think he is a good rider, a big talent, a lot of championships. To be a champion you need a lot of things, you need to be fast, you need to be talented, like I said before, you need a lot of stuff. I hope for him he has these things and if he doesn’t have it, he can develop these things. Maybe we can have good battles for the years I am still riding. Then after he can fight with other guys. Tim, he is also very fast, a good talent, he is also very young. For the long future, its Tim and Jeffrey, they are the guys for the future and the fights.
Just two more questions. Trentino, and Ottobiano, two Italian GP’s and two special performances, also a lot of support from your countrymen. It’s like the Italian crowds are the best crowds. It used to be the French or the British, but the Italian crowds are just amazing when you win. How does that feel for you, do you get emotional?
Yes, for sure I get emotional. I like that the motocross grows so much in Italy and also the whole of Europe. I do my best to deal with the other media, outside of motocross, and from other sports or not even from sports. It is important that all the riders do this and open their mind to the social media, and other media. If we can’t have it via television, then we need to expose ourselves to this. It isn’t nice they show the snooker, but motocross is a special sport. I think television can be better, but we all do our best.
Last question. Your friend and also a legend in his sport Valentino Rossi is proving he can continue to win, winning in Assen the same day you won in Ottobiano. I think he is like 38 or something. How much motivation do you get from him, and how much respect do you have for such a legend in his own sport?
We always have a chat after the races. He is a good example for me, because he also never gives up and he put a lot of effort to make MotoGP as big as possible, because for sure without him, it isn’t as big as it is with him. For sure you can ride longer in MotoGP while motocross is physically demanding but mentally, that is tough in both sports and mentally he is very strong and everyone can learn from him.
Ray Archer images
