Italian legend Antonio Cairoli more than likely in his final season of a great GP career is still fighting hard and showing amazing speed. The Red Bull KTM factory rider is in the middle of his toughest battle, a fight between men much younger, in their primes and obviously stronger physically. 

We all know this Antonio Cairoli we see in 2021 isn’t the greatest Tony we have seen, he might even be three or four years off his best, but still, at 36 years of age (he turns 36 this month), he battles two other legends of the sport, two riders with four World titles and more to come, Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings.

Through his nine World titles and 93 GP wins, Cairoli has been anything but average, always pushing to be the best, to continue to maintain his motivation to win title number 10. He isn’t looking to break records, but he does it anyway and his attitude to our sport has just added to not only his legacy, but also the legacy of this era in Grand Prix motocross.

Respected, loved and admired by his countrymen, we might be seeing the end of what has been a magnificent journey over the last 18 years. So, as the curtain comes down on his career, let us enjoy his final moments, because despite his age, a body that has been damaged by this sport, he remains battling the youngsters of this his third decade on GP racing.

We caught up with the great rider after his podium finish in Turkey this week.

MXlarge: Congratulations. I don’t know how you keep doing it, but at the moment, you are not just hanging in there, you are in the fight, and that is pretty special considering you are 36 next week?

Cairoli: I mean, I would never hang in there, that isn’t my style. If I have no particular pain on my body, I know I can still fight at the front. After the surgery with the knee, I still can’t train how I want, but my knee is responding better, and I don’t need to do anything with it after the races. Also, the shoulder is good, so I am not too bad at the moment. I feel okay and I really enjoy riding still and the speed is there and also the will to win.

MXLarge: You are obviously at the end of your career and these guys are in their prime, and you are still battling them, that is just incredible when we see the level, maybe one of the toughest championship battles in the history of the sport. How good does it feel to be in that type of battle at this point in your career?

Cairoli: It is more enjoyable than it was before, because at 36 years of age and I am for sure not at the peak of my career, I am at the low part of my career, with my body and fitness. It is so tough now for my body, to recuperate or recover and I am not an old guy, but it isn’t 22 or 23. When you are there at that young age, you just open the throttle and I think more now. The experience is helping for sure.

MXlarge: That experience you talk about, you must be using all that experience in the races, because a 36-year-old man shouldn’t be closing down on guys like Gajser and Herlings when they are in their prime and mid-20’s. What experience do you use in those moments?

Cairoli: Of course, using energy and also specially when the track gets technical and rough, tracks like this one, and not fast and not rough. On tracks like this I can use my technique to not lose too much energy and there are places I can rest and places I need to attack.

MXlarge: It feels like you are just small margins from winning Grand Prix’s at the moment. Is that how it feels for you?

Cairoli: Yes, it does, but I am losing so much with the starts lately. The speed is there but I mess up the start and the first corner are also not there and we go back again to the 36 year old guy, who is a little too careful in the first corner and they all go wide open. If I can fight with them, at this level now and it is a very high level of course. What the bikes allow now and even guys without technique, you can still go fast and that is why the top 20 are so fast.

MXlarge: You had some bad luck on Sunday with the hay-bale, but you still have been fighting with the front guys very often. What is your strategy for these races?

Cairoli: There was not really a strategy going on. I was also riding okay last GP, maybe the hay bale took me out of the fight. I lost some points, and I also could have been hurt. Today, I felt already better in the time practice which I am struggling a lot to get a fast lap lately. I also make a mistake with the start all the time. A little bit too wide, so today good races but not so good starts. Coming from the back, I lost a lot of energy in the first race, but I am happy overall, the speed is there and the fitness as well. I just need to figure out a little bit that part of the race, the start. To try to stay in front like I do normally, apart from the last races. Second race, not a good start again. First lap, there was some traffic and sketchy moments to pass some riders… I arrived at the back of Jorge, and I struggled to pass him, so the guys in front pulled away. In the end, we pushed again and came closer. But then Jeffrey was just looking for the overall and just riding the last laps easy. I am happy overall to be on the podium but of course the condition is good so I wanted more but could not get it. Let’s hope we can have a better result in Sardinia. I like Sardinia a lot and it’s going to be a hot race. I think it’s a nice event. Hopefully we can have some public with the regulations.

MXlarge: You and Jorge have been having a lot of battles, what is your feeling on those battles?

Cairoli: I think it’s normal. Your teammate is always your first rival and that’s clear. But the most important thing is to not mess it up and let someone else win. That’s what we learned to do.

MXLarge: Going into Italy, on the Island of Sardinia are you motivated for that?

Cairoli: I like sand, but I seem to be better on hard pack lately. The sand is tougher for me, but I like Riola, and it is in Italy and also a home race and I hope we can have a big crowd and the restrictions don’t change.

MXlarge: There was talk at the start of the year, that it might be your last. With these results would retiring be a little less of a chance now?

Cairoli: No, we are still deciding of course, and I still feel I can ride good and I have time to decide. I think in two of three weeks I will know, and we will make a decision.

MXlarge: Are we talking 50/50 on that decision?

Cairoli: Yes, 50/50 

Ray Archer images