RIDER OF THE MONTH

ANTONIO CAIROLI IS WITHOUT DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED MOTOCROSS RIDERS IN THE WORLD, YOU ONLY NEED TO READ HIS RESUMÉ TO REALISE THAT, AND WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT IN SEPTEMBER 2021, IT WAS CLEAR WE WERE SAYING FAREWELL TO A LEGEND OF THE SPORT. WITH NO FEWER THAN NINE WORLD TITLES UNDER HIS BELT, WE TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE AND LOOK BACK AT THE PAST 18 YEARS THAT THE SICILIAN SPENT UNDER THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT. Before The Hype

Like most riders, their first foray into riding bikes is more about the joy and freedom it brings, and when you advance from the basics to competing at local level, the goal shifts to finishing races� From there it’s a case of improving step-by-step, and when you eventually claim that first race win and that first overall victory, the aim is then to win nationally� The same rules applied for Tony and when he outgrew what Sicily had to offer, it was time to shift to the Italian mainland�

In 2002/2003 Cairoli raced for Martin Honda and whilst he attended less than a handful of GPs as a 125cc Wildcard, his

efforts were short lived� In 2002 he failed to qualify in Belgium (Genk) and failed to score points in Russia, before failing to qualify twice more in 2003 in Bulgaria (Sevlievo) and Germany (Teutschenthal), but despite his efforts, all of that was about to change�

The First Win

By 2004, Tony had suddenly found himself under the watchful eye of Claudio De Carli after taking the difficult decision to move away from his native Sicily in order to improve his skills, and it wasn’t long before the move began to pay off� Now Yamaha mounted, his first top three race finish came in the sand of Valkenswaard, Holland, Round 4 - a venue that he would have even more success further down the line - and just two rounds later in the deeper sand of Lichtenvoorde, two 3rd places cemented his first visit to the MX2 podium with 3rd overall behind Ben Townley and Tyla Rattray�

His first race victory came at GP12 in Loket, Czech Republic, and before the year was out, Cairoli experienced the view from the top step of the podium when he went 2-4 to claim the overall around the tricky circuit of Namur, at the GP of Wallonie� When the chequered flag fell for the final time in South Africa, Cairoli had ended the season 3rd overall, and was now considered a very real prospect as a future world champion� The only question that needed answering was when?

The History Boy

That question was answered the following year when in 2005, the tiny Sicilian, with his flamboyant riding style, rocked the motocross world by going from virtual unknown to MX2 World Champion� Suddenly, race wins were plentiful (13), and GP victories were starting to build as he picked up a further six overall wins during this historic season where he became Italy’s youngest ever world champion� He also proved how much of a fighter he is too; his battles with Andrew McFarlane and Alessio Chiodo during the midpoint of the season were legendary� With nineteen top three race finishes, and podium visits at nine of the seventeen rounds, there was just one low point which came in France at Saint Jean d’Angely (GP9) after an altercation with fellow Italian Davide Guarneri forced the officials to disqualify Cairoli from the event� After winning in Italy the week before, Cairoli had arrived in France as series leader, but by the time he left, had dropped to third overall and was then thirty-one points off the pace� If he was to win his first title, he had to dig deep and do it the hard way, and that’s exactly what he did� At the penultimate round at Lierop in The Netherlands, Tony’s 7-8 was enough to clinch what turned out to be the first of multiple world titles, the first for Yamaha

in the MX2 class and the first title for the Japanese marque in almost a decade after Alessio Chiodi’s win in 1997 in the 125cc division�

After losing his crown to Christophe Pourcel in 2006 despite winning one race less than the previous year and three times as many races as the new world champion, Tony bounced back in emphatic style in 2007 in what was a near-perfect championship campaign� Reunited with the familiar ‘222’ after racing the previous two seasons with the ‘3’ and the ‘1’, Cairoli won the championship by 150 points as he romped to twenty-one race wins; it could have been more had he raced the British GP one week after his title win in Northern Ireland� In fact, Cairoli did race the GP in England, but as an MX1 wildcard where his 2-1 secured him the overall victory in the premier class at the very first attempt� In what was a fifteenround campaign in 2007, Cairoli stood on the podium fourteen times, with ten wins and three 2nd places in MX2, plus that overall win in MX1� Impressive stuff�

Sadly, there would be no repeat of that success the following year� From the start of 2008, TC222 struggled to distance himself from the KTM duo of Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle and as the three riders battled for supremacy, it was Rattray who held the upper hand as the series headed to South Africa for the tenth of fifteen rounds� For Rattray, it was the perfect homecoming, but for Cairoli, his season came to an abrupt end after collecting a knee injury which would rule him out for the remainder of the series� Not the way he wanted to end his MX2 career� Next stop, MX1�

Record Pace

Now fully recovered from his knee injury, Antonio Cairoli lined up in the premier class (MX1) for his first full season on a 450cc and whilst he had already shown in 2007 that he could succeed in the main division, nothing in the motocross world championship

is a given! Fifth and sixth overall at the opening two rounds left him seventh in the overall standings, but that all changed when he went 1-1 in Turkey at round three� Suddenly, Cairoli had not only announced himself as a contender, but he was also the new series leader and very much the rider to beat once more� The switch had been flicked and from there, there was no stopping him� The only rider to offer any real threat was Max Nagl, and during the mid-part of the season, the German took (7) 50% of the race wins over a seven-round period, compared to Cairoli’s three� But the reality was, that by then, Cairoli was managing his championship perfectly and by the time we reached the penultimate GP in Lierop (the scene of his first title win, in MX2) the 222 cruised to a 5-4 which was enough to secure his third world title, his first in MX1� Three titles in five years, and all of this on a Yamaha, but all this was about to change�

Yamaha career

MX2

54 Race Wins

24 Grand Prix Wins

MX1

10 Race Wins

5 Grand Prix Wins

The Next Chapter, The KTM Years

With three world titles under his belt, Antonio Cairoli was then very much considered as one of the all-time greats of the sport, joining a short list of three-time world champions which included Alessio Chiodi, Gaston Rahier, André Malherbe, Dave Thorpe, Greg Albertyn, Paul Friedrichs and Guennady Moisseev� He had conquered MX2 with two titles and was then a world champion in the toughest class of all, and rather than rest on his laurels, the decision was made by his boss Claudio De Carli to move his whole racing operation from Yamaha to KTM� Not only that, but KTM, along with

ten-time world champion Stefan Everts, had been busy since 2007 creating a radical new concept bike which would later be revealed as the new KTM 350 SX-F� After extensive tests during the offseason, it was decided that TC222 would pioneer the new bike in MX1 for the 2010 campaign, and as we know by now, it was the start of a relationship that continues to this day with the Austrian manufacturer�

By the end of that first term, Cairoli was then a back-to-back world champion and he did it by taking 15 race wins along the way, clinching his fourth title with two rounds to spare� He stood on the podium twelve times - eight of those as a winner, whilst four were celebrated from the second step, and all of this on the new 350cc� He had then joined an even more exclusive club of four-time world champions; Heikki Mikkola, Torsten Hallman and Harry Everts and it was clear to see he was not done yet�

When it came to wrapping up his fifth world title, consistency was the name of the game; his race win count for the season may have dipped to nine, but his overall top three race finishes (23) were a key factor� Six GP wins also contributed - two more than the next best of Clement Desalle who placed 3rd overall, and Steven Frossard (2nd) - but it was his overall podium count that was also a contributing factor; his twelve podiums from fifteen rounds was double that of Frossard (2nd overall) and four more than Desalle (3rd) and the title was clinched with a round to go at Gaildorf in Germany� The final round at Fermo, Italy, should have been a celebration of his title win in front of his army of adoring fans but sadly, his mother Paola passed away on the Friday of the GP due to illness; understandably, Tony elected not to race his home GP�

As world championships go, Cairoli had then joined the Belgian quartet of five-time winners that consisted of Roger De Coster, Eric

Back To His Best

On his way to world title number six, nobody else even came close to getting a look-in, and you could argue that this was his best year ever� With the series taking place over sixteen rounds, Cairoli’s race-win count ended at twentyone, equal to that of his MX2 winning year of 2007, with a total of fourteen podium appearances� Despite that overall view, there was a period during the season where things were a little shaky, and after a double DNF at round nine in Sweden, Cairoli’s lead had been slashed to just three points as Desalle loomed large� Tony’s response was emphatic, and the 222 marched ruthlessly on, to claim the next seven overall wins - and thirteen from the last fourteen race wins� The end result was well worth the wait as TC claimed title number six at home in Italy at Faenza with a round still remaining and now stood proudly alongside Joel Robert as a six-time champ�

Two more world titles were added in successive years (2013/2014) in similar fashion with another thirtyfive race wins and twenty-nine additional podiums over the two years� 2013 was the standout season during that period, with thirteen of his fifteen podiums coming consecutively from the first round! How do you even compete with that kind of consistency? World title number seven (2013) was clinched in England at Matterley Basin with title number eight being won in Brazil with a round to go�

However, 2014 was another year where Tony was forced to deal with personal loss, that time his father� After racing to 4th overall in Spain at Talavera with his father Benedetto watching on, Cairoli’s world was turned upside down when days later he learned that his father had suddenly passed away� Ten days later in black riding gear, Cairoli lined up at Matterley Basin with only one thing on his mind, and when the chequered flag fell,

his 1-2 finish was enough to clinch his 68th GP win; his father would have been proud� That performance alone was testament to how strong Tony is mentally�

It’s worth noting at this point that Cairoli’s eighth title was also significant in that it marked SIX successive world championships for the Sicilian, an achievement met by just one other rider: Stefan Everts! Suddenly, what many thought was impossible was now looking very much on, as Antonio Cairoli set his sights on matching the sports’ G�O�A�T� record of ten world titles, but first, he had to secure title number nine�

Toughing It Out

And that is easier said than done!

By then, Antonio Cairoli was entering his 30th year and whilst Stefan Everts may have raced until he was 34, the sport of MXGP was getting tougher; more races, more demanding circuits and the emergence of fresh, younger talent was also something that Cairoli needed to factor in� But it was injury that prevented the 222 from securing his ninth title win�

After four rounds, Cairoli was in contention and sat 3rd in points and just one adrift of the overall leader, but then his fortunes pulled a 180� A rare DNF and a 7th at Valkenswaard, Round 5, left him thirty points adrift, and despite swapping the 350cc for the all-new 450SX-F at the next round in Spain - where he claimed his 73rd career win - it was clear that Cairoli was in for a tough time for the first time since 2008� Win 74 came a week later in England but two rounds later, in Italy, the 222 picked up an elbow injury which would rule him out of the campaign three rounds later� Title number nine had to be put on ice … for now!

The following year, 2016, and still struggling with the aftereffects of his 2015 injury, Cairoli landed on the podium on eight occasions, but he was outshone by the new kid on the block and MXGP rookie, Tim Gajser, whose consistency was very Cairoliesque, with thirteen podiums from the first thirteen rounds, and sixteen in total� Suddenly, that ninth title was looking further and further away�

As Cairoli’s focus shifted to 2017, there was a lot of paddock gossip suggesting that the great eighttime champ was ‘over the hill’ and that he would never win another title� How could he? Age was no longer his friend, Gajser had just dethroned him emphatically and three-time MX2 champ Jeffrey Herlings was then racing in the MXGP class … surely it was impossible� Consistency was going to be more important than ever, and it was TC222 who struck first with a win at the opening round� In a season of ups and down’s, Cairoli’s consistency paid off and after a mid-season run of ten podiums from twelve rounds, that ninth title was finally within reach, and at the penultimate round at Assen, Holland, the dream finally became reality; Antonio Cairoli was now a ninetime world champion�

The Last Four Years …

2018, and Cairoli once again came up against a formidable opponent - this time in the form of his teammate, Jeffrey Herlings, and whilst TC222 managed to land on the podium on fourteen from twenty GP’s, Herlings was just too good, missing the podium just once when he missed Lombardia due to a broken collarbone� But that misfortune played into Cairoli’s hands perfectly as he notched up another milestone in his career; GP win number 85 was then in the books� With two GP wins and second overall, Cairoli still clearly had enough in the tank to equal Stefan Everts record of ten titles, but with each passing year, it was supposed to be getting more and more difficult�

he was victorious at the season opener in Patagonia, and he held the points lead for the first seven rounds� And then Russia happened! An injured shoulder forced him out of the title race once more, and a week later, he withdrew from the campaign� A tenth title had gone begging�

2020, Cairoli bounced back to finish 3rd overall, securing GP win number 90 in Latvia along the way but by then it was clear that the likes of Gajser, and Herlings when fully fit were there to stay and whilst there was speculation that TC might not continue beyond 2020, the Sicilian decided to give it one more try�

2021 will probably go down as one of the most memorable in history and for a while, Antonio Cairoli was very much a huge part of it and in with a shot at lifting that elusive tenth title� As Herlings played catch up after getting landed on in Holland and series leader Tim Gajser turned up in Sardinia with a broken collarbone, Cairoli was well placed to take over the championship lead as he sat third in the standings, one point behind Romain Febvre and twenty-nine adrift of Gajser� However, after suffering a huge crash during Time Practice, it was clear Cairoli’s run at the championship was over, just days after officially announcing he would retire at the end of the season� That was his final chance, and then it was over�

Despite that though, he still managed to line up at the Monster Energy MXoN a week later and despite his injuries, finally got to stand on the top step of the podium alongside his teammates Alessandro Lupino and Mattia Gaudagnini as world champions� The one trophy - the Peter Chamberlain Trophy - that had eluded him in 18 years of professional racing was now in his hands and to do it a week after his biggest low-point, to do it on home soil … that’s what dreams are made of�

When we look back at Tony’s glittering career, it’s astonishing to comprehend that in 18 years as a professional, the kid from Patti, Sicily, won at least one grand prix in each of those seasons, something unmatched by anybody else� In fact, most riders don’t even get to compete for 18 years professionally, so that alone is just outstanding� As Antonio hung up his Airoh helmet after the final GP of the year at Mantova, Italy, he did so with nine world championships, 94 grand prix victories and a MXoN win� The flamboyant riding style from his early days will be missed as much as his more measured approach from the later years and so too will his approachability� The world changed a great deal

from when TC222 won his first title in 2005 and he changed with it, becoming a global superstar on and off the track� Grazie Tony for all that you did for the sport of motocross and congratulations on a truly outstanding career, and may the next chapter be just as successful off the track as you were on it�

KTM Career

MX1/MXGP Overall Career Statistics

• 9 World Championships

• 3 Silver Medals - 2006, 2016, 2018

• 2 Bronze Medals - 2004, 2020

• 1 Motocross of Nations Win

• 1 Motocross of Nations Bronze medal

• 179 Podium Appearances: 94 x 1st - 52 x 2nd - 33 x 3rd)

• 182 Race Wins: 118 x 2nd - 58 x 3rd

THE 2021 SEASON SAW ITALY RACK UP AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF TITLES AND OTHER SUCCESSES NOT ONLY IN MOTOCROSS BUT IN OTHER SPORTS TOO. COINCIDENTALLY THESE TRIUMPHS TOOK PLACE ON THE YEAR THAT THE ITALIAN MOTORCYCLING FEDERATION CELEBRATED THEIR 110TH YEAR – AND WHAT A WAY THAT WAS TO CELEBRATE THE LAST 110 YEARS OF THE FEDERATION! And to join in on this celebration, MXGP Magazine wanted to take this chance to re-live some of these incredible moments�

The Italian Motorcycling Federation was founded in 1911, from an idea of Oreste Togni President and founder of the first MotoClub in Italy, the Moto Club d’Italia� Mr� Togni understood the importance of taking care of the riders and the motorcycle races at the beginning of the last century when this sport was rapidly growing� His idea was to have a Federation involved in the organisation of all the motorcycle races taking place in Italy and able to give to the Italian riders the support they needed, especially in competitions abroad� When it was founded, the Moto Club d’Italia was counting less than 500 riders�

Throughout the years the Federation has grown immensely and has become a main actor of motorsport in Italy and finally in 1942 the Olympics Commitment (CONI) recognised its role and changed the name into ‘Federazione Motociclcistica Italiana’ (FMI) in 1946 with its mission focused on supporting the young and up and coming talents as well as being involved in the organisation of races and general promotion of motorcycling sports�

The main result of the Italian Federation was without any doubt the victory at the 74th edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Mantova, but before we dive deeper into the event and its significance, we first need to go back to the presentation of the ‘Maglia Azzurra’ (Team Italy’s shirt) that took place in Maggiora in July, a moment that is always special�

“Presenting the Maglia Azzurra here in Maggiora, that is one of the most iconic motocross tracks in Italy, is amazing for me and doing it with a Motocross legend like Antonio Cairoli is even more special,” said Roberto Rustichelli, Coordinator of the Italian Federation Motocross Commission� “All the best Italian riders will wear this t-shirt in the international team competitions this year and I’m sure they’ll give their best to honour it and represent it with a win”�

The atmosphere in Maggiora was something amazing and to all the fans inside and outside the Media Centre, Antonio Cairoli said: “I’ve worn the Maglia Azzurra many times and representing Italy for me is always something special; the Motocross of Nations is a trophy that all the riders want to win and is something special”�

After all the success of 2021 a delegation of the Italian Federation was invited for a special meeting with Italian Republic President Sergio Mattarella� “Being there, received by the President is something really important for us,” said Giovanni Copioli, FMI President “President Mattarella recognised all the work that the Federation is doing in order to promote the sport in Italy”�

The Italian Federation finally celebrated its 110th anniversary with a ceremony taking place in Riccione on the 11th of December; at the celebrations were more than 50 athletes who have been a big part of the federation success, winning many trophies in all the disciplines and of course Antonio Cairoli was also there, and he received a standing ovation from the public for his successful career�

“The Italian Federation is one of the oldest in the world and through the years has always been developing and increasing� Since I became president, back in 2016, I’ve always wanted to create a better cooperation and coordination between our headquarters and the local motoclubs; this is really important to support and help

all the riders part of the Federation from the future champions to the normal riders that ride their bike only for fun, because motocross is part of the Italian tradition and in the last years we saw an increase of riders practicing motocross,” added Mr�

Copioli� “As federation we have been also lucky to have many good riders in the past years but having Antonio Cairoli as rider and representer has been something special� Still today Tony is an inspiration for many young Italian riders who dream to become World Champion, and at the FMI ceremony, we honoured his career with a special prize to thank him for everything he did for the Motocross in Italy”�

Italy has had many successful riders: one of the first was Michele Rinaldi, who won the 125cc in 1984, and from then on many others won titles, too� Alex Puzar got two titles in 250cc (1990) and in 125cc (1995); then representing Italy was Alessio Chiodi, who won the 125cc title in 1997, 1998 and 1999, while at the same time Andrea Bartolini was winning the 500cc class in 1999� Then after a few years without any big victories, Italy was back on top with the title of Cairoli in MX2 (2005 and 2007) and the title of Philippaerts in 2008 in the main class, MX1� From 2009 the world discovered one of the most successful riders of all the time, a real motocross legend, Antonio Cairoli that got 7 titles in the main class MX1/MXGP� During his final season, in 2021, at 35 years old, Cairoli was able to win GPs in one of the most competitive MXGP seasons in the history of the FIM Motocross World Championship�

Italy has also been successful three times at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations: in 1999, 2002 and the latest in 2021 with Antonio Cairoli, Alessandro Lupino and Mattia Guadagnini�

“Winning the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations is a dream that became real; since I was a child, I always wanted to win the Nations representing Italy, but winning it

in Mantova, in front of the Italian fans is something I’ll never forget and that I still don’t believe at all,” said Mattia Guadagnini, who in 2022 will line up for RedBull GasGas Factory Racing�

Mattia is one of the latest riders followed by the Italian Federation; he won the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship and the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing FIM Europe Motocross Championship in 2019; then in 2020 Mattia competed in the EMX250 FIM Europe Motocross Championship and took a solid 2nd position after fighting all season long with the Championship winner Thibault Benistant� After some wildcard appearances in 2020, in 2021 Mattia competed in his first season of the MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship and finished 4th in the standings on what was his rookie season after winning 2 GPs�

“I still remember when I was young in the first races I did of the European Championship there was always somebody from the Federation that helped me giving tips and technical advice� I think that this is really important when you are young; having somebody with knowledge and experience in this sport helping you to take the correct decisions is necessary to grow up properly,” said Guadagnini�

In the history of the Italian Federation there is also FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship with Kiara Fontanesi� Kiara is a true motocross legend and has won 6 WMX Championship with 4 in row from 2012 to 2015 and again in 2017 and 2018; after becoming a mother to her daughter Skyler in 2019, Kiara lined-up again for the WMX races and finished 4th in 2020 and 3rd in 2021 after fighting all season with Courtney Duncan for the title� Those great results put Kiara among the title contenders in 2022, while at the same time, from some years, she started to support young Italian girls in Motocross; Kiara with all the experience gained in

more than ten years of the World Championship is working a lot with many talented riders in order to help them in their motocross career�

“When I started riding motocross, I didn’t have such a big budget, but I still remember the great help I had from the Federation and all the people representing it,” said Alessandro Lupino, Beta SDM Corse MX Team rider for the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship� “With the support and the tips of good people, a young rider can build a good career and dream to be World Champion as it was for me back in 2006� All the things I learned in those year have been very important for all of my career till now, and not only for tha,t but also in my life today as a man and dad”�

As we said at the beginning motocross has been, in 2021, the most successful discipline for the Italian Federation not only for the win in of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross Nation but also with much more: the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX250 European Championship won by Valerio Lata and Nicholas Lapucci both with Italian teams, as well as the victory of Davide De Bortoli in the EMX Open class�

Talking about young talent and their future we must mention the main project the Italian Federation has been developing in the last years: Talenti Azzurri with the support of Pata Snack� The project offers young Italian riders all the support they need at the beginning of their career and follow them in all the phases� The project gives riders many chances to improve and learn a lot about motocross: group training, technical lessons with and without the bike, 2-3 day camps and much more with the help of former riders, technical instructors, and experts to teach them where they need to grow and improve�

MXGP Mag: Mr. Copioli beside all the work the Italian Federation is doing, how important is the project supporting the future champions Talenti Azzurri?

Mr. Copioli: “To be honest this is our main project; we are really satisfied of the work we did in the last five years, and personally I’m really proud of how Talenti Azzurri is developing with the help of our sponsor Pata Snack� The results of the work are in front of the eyes of everybody without any doubt: the great MX2 rookie season for Mattia Guadagnini and the incredible wins of Valerio Lata and Nicholas Lapucci in the European Championships prove how our technical department is working nonstop with the young riders� The win also of the FIM Junior 85cc Motocross World Championship is another result of the work we are doing, not only in the present but also for a future generation of Italian champions of tomorrow and I see a great future for motocross in Italy”�

The result of all the work with the young riders gave to Team Italy also 7 editions of the Motocross of European Nations (2006, 2007, 2012, 2014 2015, 2018 and 2019); the win of Mattia Barbieri in the 85cc class and the win as team in the last FIM Junior World Championship 2021 that took place in Megalopolis. In the Junior World Championship Italy won already with Mattia Guadagnini and Valerio Lata in the 125cc and 85cc class in 2019, as well as a team and with Gianluca Facchetti back in 2017 also in 125cc�

Behind all those successes there is a precise and well-organised structure of the Italian Federation; all the riders across all the disciplines are followed by the Italian media in order to give the events the best coverage possible� The federation also have their very own magazine, available online� This also allows them to follow their riders, the races and all the projections of the federation�

As we said before, the Federation is really professional in that side and all the riders taking part in international races are followed by coaches and trainers who are always on hand to give them the best support: in the main races like

the FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM Motocross of European Nations and the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship there is always the Italian Federation hospitality “Casa Azzurra” where the most important briefing and conferences take place during these international events and is also a place where the riders can feel comfortable and get prepared for the races�

Talking about Italian riders, success and wins we couldn’t miss the chance to speak with one of the men that is working a lot behind the scenes of the Italian Federation and has become a reference for all the Italian riders that races in the European and in the World Motocross Championship from many years�

Thomas Traversini, former Motocross World Championship rider, is the FMI Motocross Technical Director and tester for KTM Group Research and Development Motocross department� At the end of 2005, when Thomas was forced to end his career as rider due to an injury, he started following the young riders in the Italian and European Championships, helping them to develop and become future champions� In addition, Thomas is also the Team Manager and Official Trainer of Team Italy at the FIM Motocross of Nations�

MXGP Mag: First of all, of course we start with the incredible result of the FIM Motocross of Nations 2021; after many years finally, Italy was able to get the trophy. Tell us more about it.

Thomas: “Many times we have been very close to win the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations but there was always some bad luck against us, in RedBud in 2018 we had a solid team for example and we were really close to the win, anyway I still remember very well all the Motocross of Nations I did as coach of Team Italy and all those incredible emotions that this position gave me� This year has been different, even if Antonio

Cairoli was not 100% due to an injury, the team was strong in all the classes and at the end with this incredible atmosphere, on our home soil, we were able to get the trophy that we were waiting for 19 years”�

MXGP Mag: What has been the secret behind that win in the 2021 FIM Motocross of Nations?

Thomas: “All the riders competing in the FIM Motocross of Nations are giving their best because they represent their country, but many times the biggest problem behind is to create a team with a good atmosphere among the riders; I’ve been the coach many times and Team Italy had many really good riders, but I think the secret ingredient of this win, after of course the great results of Antonio, Alessandro and Mattia, has been the friendship among the three of them, they raced as a real Team in an individual sport as Motocross is� From my side having Mattia inside this team made me even more proud because we have been working together for many years and I’ve always tried to train him to be ready to be part of Team Italy one day (during the FIM Motocross of European Nations and the FIM Junior World Championships); that day came in 2021 and we took this win� As a rider I was not able to win the Motocross of Nations, but winning it as coach gave me an incredible feeling and I’m super proud of the guys”�

MXGP Mag: Tell us more about the future of Italian motocross from inside�

Thomas: “I’m very ambitious and even with the great results we got in 2021 I’m already looking at the future and preparing the 2022 season to reach even better results in all the classes� From my side I see many good Italian riders, of course Mattia Guadagnini, Valerio Lata, Nicholas Lapucci and Andrea Bonacorsi, but I’m also following many others in the 65cc and 85cc class that are showing a big talent� Having so many good riders winning is also helping

Italian Motocross to grow up and improve year after year; the results of the Talenti Azzurri project are in front of everybody and our goal is to keep it in the next years and of course improve it� As Mr� Copioli said having a good connection between the Federation and all the moto clubs around Italy is fundamental in a way that we can support all the riders and we can give the best support to the riders that prove to have great quality for the future and follow them from the beginning,”

Through the years the relationship between Infront Moto Racing and the Italian Federation has always been really good and constructive; the FIM Motocross World Championship has always included races in Italy, a country where motocross is one of the most popular motorsports� In 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic, Infront Moto Racing and the Italian Federation put in an immense amount of effort and worked together in order to make races, even with the many restrictions Europe faced and with triple and double headers taking place in Italy, the Championship has been amazing and full of action�

In 2021, after an intense season, both champions in MX2 and MXGP were crowned at the Italian GPs with Maxime Renaux becoming Champion in Pietramurata and Jeffrey Herlings clinching the title at the last race in Mantova after one of the most intense seasons of the MXGP class of the last decades�

All those great results and incredible memories have been possible with the help of the Italian Federation that is always working in order to have more World Championship level tracks and are ready to enter the FIM Motocross World Championship� Looking at 2022, three riders will line up in the MX2 class Mattia Guadagnini (Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing), Andrea Adamo (SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery) and Gianluca Facchetti (KTM Beddini Racing Team); Guadagnini will be for sure a real title contender while Adamo and Facchetti are ready to fight for good results� In the MXGP class will be Alberto Forato (SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery), Alessandro Lupino (Beta SDM Corse MX Team) and Nicholas Lapucci (Team Fantic Racing); Forato after a year of learning will be ready to go for good results after finding the correct speed last year, while Lupino is ready to develop the new Beta machine and take good results, while Lapucci needs to prove that he is ready to be solid rider in the main class�