12 years ago nearly to the day, Antonio Cairoli won his first world motocross championship. At the Lierop circuit in Holland, the Sicilian rider joined Stefan Everts as a champion, and it was in the deep sand of Lierop that Cairoli started what has been an amazing run of victories. Cairoli his first world title, and Everts his ninth.
Everts and Cairoli both claimed their 2005 titles in the MX1 and MX2 class respectively at Lierop in Holland on Sunday, September 4, 2005. As Everts was getting near the end of his amazing career, Cairoli was just starting his. Now here we are more than a decade later, and its Cairoli’s turn to pick up number nine.
Everts took his fifth straight championship since 2001 with his seven GP win of the season. In the process he increased his record number of motorcross wins to 86, with a grand total of nine world championships. Italian 19-year-old Cairoli took his first world championship with a fifth place.
The MX1 first race saw the Belgian MX legend lead from the start, and finish 13 seconds ahead of second placed Steve Ramon and third place Josh Coppins.
The second race proved tougher in the early stages with Ben Townley fighting hard for the lead, but it was to no avail as Everts once more swept past and opened up a sizeable lead. Everts won from Townley and Ramon.
“In the end it was great to wrap up the title ins tyle by winning both races, and it was ncie to share this moment with so many fans,” said Everts. “Surely this title did not come easy, and this is probably the first GP where I had good starts in both races. I had to work hard to win this year, but it makes the satisfaction even bigger. Maybe it’s just because I grow older.”
Youthful Cairoli overcame wrist and ankle injuries to claim the 2005 MX2 world championship with an overall fifth position. The first race was won by Marc de Reuver from Tyler Rattray and Britain’s Bill MacKenzie, with Cairoli finishing in seventh place. The second race saw Rattray win from de Reuver. Third was David Philippaerts, fourth MacKenzie, and eighth Cairoli.
“I hurt my left wrist yesterday, and my ankle injury already made it hard to push in the deep sand. I fought hard to make it happen here and I kept on believing,” said Cairoli. “Two laps before the end my team informed me that i ahd wont he title and it was the most amazing feeling ever. I have now one big goal left and that is to get a good result with the Italian team at the MX of Nations in France.”
Of course Cairoli will again head to Holland, again in the deep sand, but this time a new school circuit at the MotoGP circuit in Assen, and again he will be celebrated as possibly the greatest of all time. The memories this man has given the fans is just out of this world, and looking back on that day in 2005, it really makes you realize what he has achieved.