It is without question, one of the most picturesque stops in the MXGP calendar and a circuit, that might be tight in its design, has seen some of the biggest battles in the last two decades of Grand Prix motocross.

The town of Arco is faced on one side by sheer limestone cliffs jutting up like a wall protecting it and its ancient hilltop castle. Tourism is a major part of the local economy, with many Germans and Austrians coming over the Brenner Pass from Austria. A beautiful area for anything outdoors, and that includes our great sport, of motocross.

While the history of the circuit doesn’t have the same depth as places like Hawkstone Park, Farleigh Castle, Ettelbruck, Imola, Sittendorf, St Antonius of Namur, the design of the circuit and its dirt is everything that is old school motocross.

Amazingly, our four big legends from the last 15 years, Antonio Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado have all won at this circuit, on five occasions. Cairoli probably the most impressive, as all came in the MXGP class, while Gajser has won once in MX2 and four times in MXGP, Herlings has won three times in MX2 and twice in MXGP and Prado has won three times in MX2 and twice in MXGP.

Crazy to think over a 12 year period from 2013 until 2024, only Clement Desalle, Max Nagl and Jeremy Seewer have stopped a complete sweep by the guys mentioned above in the MXGP class.

The whole Arco de Trento/Trentino story started nearly 40 years ago in 1987, when Italian Massimo Conti sent the locals into hysteria winning the 125cc GP at Arco de Trento, with American legend, Donny Schmit winning there in 1991 and another American, Billy Liles won the 500cc at Trentino in 1994.

Arco de Trento disappeared from the Grand Prix calendar for some years, before reappearing in 2013 and to everyone’s excitement, it was Italian legend, Antonio Cairoli who added his name to the winner circle in the MXGP class. Jeffrey Herlings started his love affair with Trentino, winning the MX2 class on that day in 2013.

Trentino returned a year later and Belgian strongman, Clement Desalle got a victory in the MXGP class, with Herlings adding win number two at Arco de Trento. With big crowds and right in the middle of the Cairoli era, this beautiful little circuit stayed on the calendar and in 2015, Max Nagl won in MXGP and Tim Gajser picked up his first ever Grand Prix victory.

Just to remind everyone, that his career was not on the slide, Cairoli won at Trentino in 2016 ahead of current World MXGP champion Romain Febvre and MX2 World champion, Tim Gajser (who would go on to win the 2016 MXGP title). In MX2, Herlings added win number three at Trentino.

Cairoli also continued to add to his Trentino glories, with that sensational victory in 2017, when he came from behind after a terrible start and used one single corner to pretty much make his competition look helpless. Jorge Prado won his first time at Trentino in the MX2 class.

In 2018, Herlings grabbed win number four at Arco de Trento, winning the MXGP class ahead of Desalle and Cairoli, with Prado getting win number two in the MX2 class. Gajser took win number two in 2019 with a win in the MXGP class, with Cairoli second and in the MX2 class, Prado took his third win at the circuit.

2020 and Covid. A season we will all never forget, despite many of us trying, but this time it was Gajser taking his third Trentino victory, winning the MXGP class and then backed it up a few days later to win his fourth time at the circuit, before Cairoli won the final of the triple headers, and scored his fourth Arco victory. In MX2, it was Ben Watson and Jago Geerts winning, Geerts taking two of the three rounds.

Again in 2021 we had a triple header at Arco, with Jeremy Seewer winning the first day, Cairoli winning for the fifth time at the second Arco that year and Herlings winning for the fifth time at this circuit. Maxime Renaux won the opening MX2 overall and was joined by Rene Hofer and Tom Vialle.

Fortunately, the 2022 season was back to normal, and yes, Gajser won for the fifth Arco de Trentino win. Tom Vialle won his second overall at Trento in the MX2 class. In 2023 Jorge Prado won again at Trentino, for his third victory at the circuit and won again in 2024. In the MX2 class those two years, it was Andrea Adamo and Liam Everts who won.

Winners At Trentino

1987 Massimo Conti 125cc

1991 Donny Schmit 125cc

1994 Billy Liles 500cc

2013 Antonio Cairoli MXGP – Jeffrey Herlings MX2

2014 Clement Desalle MXGP – Jeffrey Herlings MX2

2015 Max Nagl MXGP – Tim Gajser MX2

2016 Antonio Cairoli MXGP – Jeffrey Herlings MX2

2017 Antonio Cairoli MXGP – Jorge Prado MX2

2018 Jeffrey Herlings MXGP – Jorge Prado MX2

2019 Tim Gajser MXGP – Jorge Prado MX2

2020 Tim Gajser MXGP – Ben Watson MX2

2020 Tim Gajser MXGP – Jago Geerts MX2

2020 Antonio Cairoli MXGP – Jago Geerts MX2

2021 Jeremy Seewer MXGP – Maxime Renaux MX2

2021 Antonio Cairoli MXGP – Rene Hofer MX2

2021 Jeffrey Herlings MXGP – Tom Vialle MX2

2022 Tim Gajser MXGP – Tom Vialle MX2

2023 Jorge Prado MXGP – Andrea Adamo MX2

2024 Jorge Prado MXGP – Liam Everts MX2

Most Wins

Jeffrey Herlings 5

Tim Gajser 5

Antonio Cairoli 5

Jorge Prado 5

Tom Vialle 2

Jago Geerts 2

Ray Archer images