Tony's Men - Italian Motocross

Posted on February 08, 2023

As we head into this weekends opening round of the two round International Italian championship, we enter a country with a rich motocross tradition, but surprisingly, not nearly as strong a history with the sport as many other countries, like Great Britain, Sweden, Belgium or maybe even Holland. Italy arrived on the World motocross scene back in the 1980s as major International races were held and a young man by the name of Michele Rinaldi ruled the World in the 125cc class.

A handful of countries have a long-standing relationship with the FIM Motocross World Championship, and while Italy arrived later than the countries I mentioned above, they have made up for it in the last 40 years. Holding their first ever Grand Prix in 1957, when Swedish rider Bill Nilsson won at the Imola circuit.

Former Yamaha Factory team owner Michele Rinaldi was the pioneer of Italian world champions, winning the FIM World 125cc Motocross Championship in 1984 and scoring 13 GP wins. Rinaldi was in fact the first Italian rider to finish top three in the World when he finished second to Harry Everts in the 125cc championship in 1980, claiming third in 1981 and 1982, before winning the title in 1984. Amazingly, another Italian, Corrado Maddii finished second that year and from that moment on, Italian riders started to make their mark on the Grand Prix points standings.

Rinaldi was in some ways a lucky man, like anyone else who raced for the Suzuki factory back then he knew he had the bikes to win. The yellow Suzuki machines won 10 125cc titles in a row, Rinaldi’s crowning glory being the last of the 10.

Rinaldi would also finish second in the World in the 1986 World 250cc championship, coming in behind Frenchman Jacky Vimond (who was the firt Frenchman to win a World title), while Maddii claimed third in the 1985 125 title race and Massimo Contini finished third in the 1986 125 championship. 

Suddenly Italian flag was a regular visitor to the top three and Alessandro Puzar kept the fire burning in Italian motocross with a 250cc title in 1990 and a 125cc title in 1995. Puzar also picked up 22 GP victories in his very exciting career and he remains one of the most interesting characters in the sport.

Following Alex Puzar success came Alessio Chiodi. Chiodi won three 125cc titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and scored 26 GP wins, at the time placing him just outside the top ten for all time GP winners.

At the time Chiodi was considered the best Italian rider of all time, and his battles against the likes of Grant Langston, James Dobb and David Vuillemin were epic.

Another Italian Andrea Bartolini won a world 500cc championship in 1999, racing for the Rinaldi Yamaha team Bartolini was up against the mighty Joel Smets, but made the most of the Belgians misfortunes to clinch Italy their seventh motocross world championship.

Since Bartolini times got a little quiet again for Italy and they had to wait nearly a decade for another World champion. In 2008 David Philippaerts added title number eight for the red/green and white flag, and of course a few years later in 2005 Cairoli began his collection of world titles.

Antonio Cairoli is passionate about his sport and even more so about his country. Often sportsman of the year in Italy, and a household name, Cairoli has done more for Italian motocross than any Italian motocrosser before him, and believe me, there have been some very special Italian riders to have graced our sport.

What makes the performances of Cairoli so special is the fact he has won FIM Motocross World Championships on nine occasions, more than all his previously mentioned countrymen combined. Cairoli also has 94 GP victories. 

Now retired, Italy wait for another champion to arrive and while that doesn't seem likely to happen too soon, there are always young Italian men who have grown up under the shadows of Antonio Cairoli and no doubt Italy will once again climb to the top of a Grand Prix podium and possibly gain another World champion.