The next-to-last race in the motocross world championship delivered the new MX1 and MX2 world champions. They’re both members of the Red Bull KTM Factory team, which is also supported by Akrapovič.

The motocross world championship contains sixteen rounds or 32 motos. By the last race, which is taking place on 23 September in Germany, the incredible Antonio Cairoli will have racked up nineteen wins in the MX1 class! This means he’s already 88 points ahead of second-ranked Clément Desalle (Suzuki) and can’t be caught. This further enriches his remarkable sports career with a sixth world champion title.

Tony Cairoli: “It’s amazing to win in Italy especially after what happened last year with my mom on the same day so it’s even more special. I believe it’s a really amazing day for me and for all the people . . . yeah, I have no words. The public was amazing today, cheering me all the time. Yesterday was a little bit stressful with the qualification and everything but now it’s a little better, I had better starts and I could grab first place in each race.”

In the MX2 class, his teammate Jeffrey Herlings recorded one victory fewer, which means he’s won eighteen times. Herlings, well known for his almost unmatched skills on sand, put on an amazing display on the tricky hard-pack surface of the Italian track. He was fluid and graceful and, above all, seemingly relaxed as he steadily distanced himself from the rest of the field in the opening moto. While his rival Tommy Searle finished second, he trailed the leader by 32 seconds and the British rider’s chances of bridging the point gap melted away. Herlings started the second moto with a 68-point advantage and only had to finish with a 50-point margin to secure the title. He grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. When he crossed the line, he was 22 seconds ahead of Searle and the team was out in force in full celebration mode.

Herlings said it had been an amazing day and he still couldn’t believe what happened. He also paid tribute to his rival Tommy Searle and teammate Jeremy van Horebeek. “Tommy was always there and he pushed me a lot so it was never easy with the pressure he put on me. He’s a great rider and competitor and knowing he was always there was a great motivation for me. Also my teammate Jeremy was always close by but he also supported me right through the season,” he said, also paying tribute to his team and to his KTM 250 SX-F machine.

The season finale will take place on 23 September at Teutschental, Germany.

Photo: Archer R.