Up against big men like Ken De Dycker, Gautier Paulin and David Philippaerts these guys should be getting pushed around, but they are not, instead using their savvy riding styles to put European Motocross back on the map.

With the 2009 World Motocross Championships now over it’s easy to look at the record books and see two names that stand out. Italian Cairoli and Frenchman Musquin have produced the goods and both have World titles to their names.

Red Bull KTM team manager and 10 times World Motocross Champion Stefan Everts worked with Musquin this year and will work with Cairoli next year.

There are not too many people in the paddock that have the knowledge of racing at Grand Prix level of Mr Everts and he is impressed with both Musquin and Cairoli.

“You can see that Marvin has a good technique,” Everts said. “He doesn’t seem to have trouble with anything on the tough circuits, and he surprised even me in Lommel how he attacked the track. He uses little energy and just bounces over the toughest sections. Considering he wasn’t a great sand rider before that race, he just came into Lommel and dominated, there were some tough sections on that track and only a few riders were doing them, he was one of them, and also Cairoli. Then in Lierop Marvin also looked really strong. He deserved the title this year and I think they will have an even harder time with him in 2010. He has grown as a rider and as a person and his confidence is now very good; you could see that at the Motocross of Nations when he won the overall in the MX2 class.

“What is great about Marvin is he stays so cool, doesn’t get into problems, isn’t worried about nerves, just relaxes and takes his time. You don’t see that often, but he has that and that is something that you can’t teach somebody.”

“I think Antonio is the complete rider,” Everts said. “He has three World titles and he isn’t happy with that, he wants more and more success and he is the total professional. Not only with his riding, but with his fans and sponsors. He gives everyone a lot of time and respects the sport. I am really looking forward to working with him, but I don’t want to get in the way of what he already has with his team. Antonio does a lot of things that I did to get to my 10 World titles and he has the potential to get a lot more titles than the three he already has.”

2008 World MX2 Champion Tyla Rattray knows a little about Antonio Cairoli, but hadn’t seen Musquin race until the two locked horns at the 2009 Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations. At this event the Frenchman dominated the former champion and left his mark in the mind of Rattray.

“I am surprised how much Marvin has improved,” Rattray said. “He was struggling to get top ten results in 2008 and now he is just on another planet. His results at the Motocross of nations proved he is a worthy World Champion and I was bummed not to get better starts and be able to race with him. I am sure if he goes to America he will have good results, he reminds me a little of Christophe Pourcel. He has that style that is good for Supercross and Motocross and he seems controlled under pressure. That is something that only champions have and you can see he isn’t bothered by too much.”

Cairoli has watched Musquin a little this year and probably knows that the young Frenchman has huge potential. How the two will react on each other if they are in the same class will be interesting, and with Musquin wanting to head to America in 2011 they might never meet. It would be a pity if these two fine champions don’t lock horns one day. Maybe the MX1 class at the MXoN in 2011 or 2012.