There is always something special about a rider making history and we are all lucky to have that with Cairoli. Four FIM World Motocross Championships, 37 Grand Prix victories and a long career ahead of him.

The Italian is even starting to look at some of the records held by Stefan Everts, something nobody could have imagined four years ago when the greatest GP rider of all time retired.

We caught up with the Champ last weekend after his victory at the Grand Prix of Benelux.

MXlarge: Antonio, how was this year’s Championship win compared to 2009?

Cairoli: This championship was a little easier because I had more experience than last year. The bike was new, but the team was the same. I know the development of the bike was at the top level, the bike was no problem. Also in the starts this year I had better starts than last year, this season was a great season for me. For sure, it is the same as 2007, I had a lot of fun and I won a lot of races.

MXlarge: How did you find the news about Roger De Coster joining the KTM team?

Cairoli: For sure, Roger is an amazing person and everyone knows what he has done in America. For sure he will help KTM a lot and I hope I can meet him this winter and do some nice work together.

MXlarge: When you talk about winter you mean the FIM World Supercross Championship rounds or not? Do you know what you will do in America in January?

Cairoli: I don’t know yet I am waiting for KTM’s response. I think I can do two or three races in Supercross, maybe more in 2012. I will also do Bercy. I am looking forward to that, because it’s the most important Supercross in Europe. For sure the track is not like in America, it’s tight and it’s not as fast as in America, so it’s not really helping me to prepare for America. For sure it’s good to race in Bercy; I haven’t raced Supercross for a long time.

MXlarge: Any chance of still seeing you at the MXoN?

Cairoli: I don’t know, at the moment it is no, but I don’t know if the Federation can take the weight on their shoulders (from the Motocross World’s disappointment).

MXlarge: What was the most difficult and the easiest thing about this year?

Cairoli: The most difficult thing was for sure at the start to get used to the bike, because it isn’t the same as what I rode before. The easiest were the races in the sand. It looks easy, and I really like sand tracks.

MXlarge: You are now one of the greatest riders of all time, with four World titles and all those Grand Prix wins. Are the records held by Stefan (Everts) possible?

Cairoli: For sure, if I don’t go to US that is my goal to reach Stefan’s records or pass him that is something everyone is looking for. That is hard, but if I stay in Europe that is one of my goals.

MXlarge: Do you look at the record books, passing riders like Torsten Hallman, or Eric Geboers records, does that interest you?

Cairoli: I am not busy with that. I don’t know what order I am. My good friend and team manager tells me all the time, but I don’t look at that. For me it was nice being the biggest winner from Italy, but that is all I watched.

MXlarge: Ryan Dungey is really riding well in America, but can you understand that the American press keep saying he is the best in the World?

Cairoli: That is what they say, but how can they say those things. I think he is one of the fastest guys, but for sure I don’t think he is THE fastest, in MX2 there are a lot of guys better than him I think. I don’t think the Motocross class in America is at a good level. Before they talk (about who is best in the World) they need to compare and you can’t know from not racing each other.

MXlarge: Where do you rate the FIM World Championship guys against the American Championship riders?

Cairoli: Clement was there for one race just one week and he didn’t have the time to really prepare and he didn’t have time to get used to the track over there; the tracks there are just wide open. It’s so different, you can’t compare.