Tony Cairoli's weekly column
By TMX Archives on 8th Sep 09
The MX1 Grand Prix of Lierop, Netherlands. Hey everybody ... wow! What a weekend it was!!
I didn't start this weekend with 100% confidence. That's because Ifound out earlier this week that I broke a little piece of the meniscusin my left knee. It's the same one I had a surgery on last year. Thelittle piece was still in my knee and gives me a lot of pain. So theweek before this race in Lierop the doctor told me that it was betterto rest, so I didn't train the whole week. I didn't take any medicationor painkillers on Saturday, and my riding didn't go that well onSaturday.
I have never seen the track of Lierop so heavy as it was this year,... the sand was thick and difficult. And on Saturday I could find myrhythm in the qualification heat, so I could only finish 12th. So,after Saturday, it didn't give me more confidence for Sunday ... but Iknew everything was still possible for the championship, 'causeSaturday is still only qualification.
After the warm-up on Sunday, I waited for my doctor, Doctor ToonCleas, who also did my knee surgery last year. He was coming straightfrom his holiday to see my knee condition before the first heat. Wedecided that it would be a good idea to ride the heats with aninjection.
The first heat on Sunday I started around 15th position, I was a bitlucky that Max didn't take the hole-shot like usual, and he was just afew places in front of me. After about 15 minutes he made a mistake,and I was able pass him. I rode all the way up to third position andwas feeling good. I had constant pressure from my team mate Tanel, andJosh on my back as well, all three of us fighting for that thirdposition.
Then a few laps before the end I made a small mistake, and fell backto the 5th position. Max was able to fight back to eighth place, so Iwas able to gain three points on him after the first heat. Now, in thesecond heat, if I could take five more points than Max, I would be ableto take my world title here in Lierop. So I did feel a little pressurecause so many fans from Italy and Sicily come over to this GP, and theywould love to see me take the World Motocross Championship title thisweekend!
But, after the first heat, I had SO much pain in my injured knee,.... so just before the start of the second heat I got my secondinjection. The second heat Max did take the hole-shot, and I startedagain from out of the middle of the pack.
I knew it was going to be hard to take the points I needed on Max toclinch the championship. I was able to get the information I needed toknow from the team members in the pit lane area every lap. I was ridingsome good lap times and then there was the moment I saw Max in front ofme. I knew I didn't need to make any mistakes now, ... and I ended uppassing Max, and I was even getting closer to Desalle. There was just amoment I was thinking that I had to pass Clement to win my title, ....even my team wasn't sure what the finishing positions and points shouldbe. But, two laps before the end they gave me the information that mycurrent position was enough to win my world title, so I decided to nottake risks and stay in my 4th position.
When I arrived at the finish, I was so happy!!! Everybody was herethis weekend, my family, all my friends from Sicily, sponsors, and forsure everybody from the team! It is very hard to even describe it allin words how I felt. It was so nice ....
We had a big party after I arrived with the team, but also thatnight we had a big celebration party in Lommel until the really latehours! :D
I would like to thank everybody who helped me this season: Yamaha, my team, my family, my friends, my sponsors .... everyone!!
Grazie Mille!
Tony Cairoli 222
P.S. Together with my doctor, we decided to do a little surgery onon my knee Wednesday (today), to take out the little loose piece of myknee. I gonna' be back for the GP of Brasil and the Motocross ofNations!