Red Bull KTM’s Tony Cairoli left a muddy and cold Castiglione Del Lago and the second round of the Internazionali D’Italia Motocross Championship with a best result of fifth and was mindful of the ankle injury he sustained in the same national competition twelve months previously that hindered the beginning of his 2014 Grand Prix campaign.
Excessive rain had battered the former Grand Prix venue west of Perugia in the build-up to the second round of three, and there was even concern as late as Friday morning whether the event would run. The hard-pack was therefore swampy, rutty and very slick and the MXGP World Champion let the likes of David Philippaerts and Max Nagl sprint to victory in the MX1 and Elite motos.
“For me there was everything to lose in a race like this,” the Sicilian said in a team press release. “In these conditions, with the track full of ruts, it is very easy to get injured and the beginning of the World [Championship]is really too close. I was focused and I wanted to get a great result but the difficulties with a treacherous track were way too many.”
Cairoli limped to Losail last year struggling with a left ankle problem after twisting his limb at Montevarchi for the final round of the short Italian series. He only just made the Qatar podium by two points ahead of Steven Frossard…although 222 was back in form with pole position and two moto victories the following week in Thailand. Just over two weeks remain before the Grand Prix paddock starts the journey to Doha.
