Antonio Cairoli makes it five titles with 2011 FIM MX1 World Championship
It is a fact that Antonio Cairoli has already written his name in the History of the sport, but season after season his achievements take him closer to the top riders of All Times. The Italian has obtained his third FIM MX1 World Title in a row, the second one on the revolutionary 350cc KTM machine, and he sums up to five FIM Motocross World Titles – as many as Legends Roger De Coster, Eric Geboers, Georges Jobe and Joel Smets.
Joel Robert has just one more World Title than Cairoli and the Italian has many possibilities to reach Stefan Everts 10 World Titles record if he keeps on riding like he has done so far.
In 2010, the 25 year old from Patti handed KTM the FIM MX1 World Title on the new 350cc machine in his first year with the orange squad, and Cairoli is very satisfied with this year’s World Title, as it is a confirmation of the potential of the bike and of course the incredible talent he has when racing motocross. However, this 2011 season has been very tough for the Sicilian, as things did not started as he expected and struggled a lot to be fully fit and competitive against Desalle.
In fact, Cairoli has admitted today during the press conference that he would not highlight any specific moment of this 2011, but he would mark the USGP and the Grand Prix of Brazil as the turning points of the season. From then onwards, he started feeling better and better every weekend, the results started to arrive and he could stop Clement Desalle to win the MX1 Title.
Antonio Cairoli will never forget the hard pack track of Gaildorf, but for all the members of the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing team the German track of Gaildorf was already present in the history of the squad, as it was there when the first orange KTM won a World Title back in 1996 after Mr. Stefan Pierer had taken over the company in 1994. Today it will be another unforgettable moment for KTM, as Antonio Cairoli and Ken Roczen handed the two FIM World Titles on the same day in the old school motocross track of Gaildorf.
ANTONIO CAIROLI-BIOGRAPHY AND CAREER
Name and surname: Antonio Cairoli
Nationality: Italian
Place of birth: Patti
Date of birth (d/m/y): 23/09/1985
Website: www.tonycairoli.com
First GP raced: 2002, GP of Belgium, 125cc
World Titles: 5 (3 MX1, 2 MX2)
First World Title: 2005, MX2
GP wins: 43 (19 in MX1; 24 in MX2)
First GP win: 2004, GP of Wallonie, Namur, MX2
Last GP win: 2011, GP of Europe, Gaildorf, MX1