Cairoli does not want to make the same mistake as in 2014
Red Bull KTM rider Tony Cairoli left the muddy and cold Castiglione Del Lago where the second race of the Italian Championship was held with the best result of fifth place. Twelve months ago he suffered an ankle injury in the same national championship just before the start of the 2014 Grand Prix campaign.
The rain left deep ruts at the former Grand Prix location just west of Perugia, where the second of three tests was held. For a while it looked as if the match would not take place. The otherwise hard circuit now became very slippery and muddy with a lot of ruts. Yet MXGP world champion David Philippaerts and Max Nagl sprinted to victory in the MX1 and Elite series.
“In a race like this I can lose everything,” the Sicilian said in the team's press release. “In these conditions with ruts and mud, it is very easy to get hurt and the start of the world championship is really too close now. I was certainly focused on achieving a good result, but these difficult and treacherous situations were too much.”
Cairoli dropped to Losail last year with a left ankle problem after twisting his limb on the penultimate round of the Italian series in Montevarchi. But he still took a podium place in Qatar by taking two points more than Steven Frossard. A week later the 222 was back in order and he took the Pole Position and also won the two series in Thailand.
Just over two weeks to go and the entire Grand Prix paddock will travel to Doha-Qatar.
Text: Adam Wheeler / OTOR
Photo: KTM/Images
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