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Tony Cairoli announces his retirement from motocross: he will stop racing in MXGP after 18 years and nine world championships
Tony Cairoli announces his retirement from motocross: he will stop racing in MXGP after 18 years and nine world championships

Video: Tony Cairoli announces his retirement from motocross: he will stop racing in MXGP after 18 years and nine world championships

Video: Tony Cairoli announces his retirement from motocross: he will stop racing in MXGP after 18 years and nine world championships
Video: End of an Era: 9X MXGP Champ Calls Time on His Career 2024, March
Anonim

The Italian pilot 35-year-old Antonio Cairoli announced his retirement from the motocross world championship at the end of this season accompanied by family, friends and KTM representatives at a press conference held in Rome on September 14.

Thus ends an 18-year professional career of the most successful with nine FIM World Championships and 93 Grand Prix victories. At the end of the current 2021 season, in which he is still fighting for his 10th title, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing icon will take on a new role as KTM ambassador.

A withdrawal that tastes like a see you soon

Antonio Cairoli Ktm 450 Sx F 2
Antonio Cairoli Ktm 450 Sx F 2

Antonio ‘Tony’ Cairoli is to MXGP what Valentino Rossi is to MotoGP, an icon / living legend of this sport. However, like Valentino did, there is a period in life when you have to hang up your boots and enjoy new projects. The Italian will thus lower the curtain on a brilliant World Cup career in which he has statistically become the second most decorated pilot of the history of this sport and in the most important Italian motocross rider to this day.

After 18 years of non-stop competition, the Italian has under his belt 9 world titles, 93 victories and 177 podiums in Grand Prix. Importantly, Tony gave KTM its first premier class crown in 2010, making it his fourth personal title and second in MXGP. This achievement was followed by a further four consecutive titles (all riding a KTM 350 SX-F) before succeeding again in 2017 with the KTM 450 SX-F.

Antonio Cairoli Ktm 450 Sx F
Antonio Cairoli Ktm 450 Sx F

Along with Claudio de Carli and his loyal technical team, Cairoli has been a mainstay of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, its image and its development program since that first season together in 2010. Furthermore, to their impressive track record he can add an one more thing, and it is that since he began to compete has won at least one Grand Prize in each of their 18 seasons played.

Although his retirement will come at the end of the year, the pilot still has options to lift his tenth title of world champion this season. Before the MXGP of Sardinia (Italy) this weekend, Cairoli has accumulated a victory and five podiums in the nine races held in the MXGP 2021 season. He is currently third in the standings, 29 points ahead of the table.

Antonio Cairoli Ktm 450 Sx F 6
Antonio Cairoli Ktm 450 Sx F 6

The extension of Cairoli's contract with the KTM family includes the contribution by the Italian of your experience in various segments and other possible future implications within the KTM group, all with the aim of continuing to develop the sport of Motocross for all types of audiences.

Tony Cairoli said: "It has not been an easy decision. I have always said that numbers and statistics do not mean much to me. I think it was already an achievement for me and my family to win only one world championship, so Having been able to accumulate a career is something very special. I feel like it's time to stop. Everything around me makes me think it's the right decision, and we're still trying to win the title this year, so the motivation is high to meet this challenge."

"Want thank everyone the ones who have helped and supported me since I got to the world championship, and actually, all the way up to now. I have in my memory many faces and names and, of course, all the emotion and affection of the fans. I have felt very integrated into the KTM family from day one and we will continue to work together, but now in a different way. There is much more to do in life when the 2021 season ends, but for now our goal is very clear."

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