After clinching the MX1 World Title last week end in Gaildorf, Tony Cairoli and AXO had to face a very difficult and sad moment: Tony’s mother died on Friday, September 9^th, the day before the start of the Grand Prix, after an extended illness. Claudio De Carli Team Manger, together with the senior management of KTM, has decided that Antonio would not take part in the final round for the MX1 World Championship to be held in Fermo, Italy. The management of KTM and the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing Team wish to underline that in such sad circumstances, human and family values take precedence above all else. The whole AXO staff extend deepest and sincere condolences to Antonio and his family.

It’s been a difficult week end for AXO rider Max Nagl, too, who sustained a wrist fracture that put paid to his chances of finishing in the top three for the season.

Max crashed coming off a jump in practice and was immediately diagnosed as having a fractured scaphoid in his right wrist. He still attempted to ride in the first moto with his wrist strapped and the pain eased with injections. In what was a heroic ride, Max stuck it out until the second half of the race before the pain became so intense that he was forced to return to the pits.

Great race for Davide Guarneri, of Kawasaki Bud Racing team, who was the home star of the Italian GP, as he charged through the field from a ninth placed start to finish sixth in the opening moto. He moved quickly to eighth place in race two, but, with the field already well spread out and the heat taking its toll of all the riders, he eventually had to settle for this position which earned him seventh overall on the day.

Davide Guarneri: “Overall it was a good weekend for me. The main difficulty here was not the speed but the weather as it was so hot, even for an Italian! I started the first race in fourteenth but fought through to fifth before I made a mistake and lost one position again. In the second race I moved forward from tenth to finish eighth, but, just like most of my rivals, I was very tired at the end; it was really tough, and not so many riders were able to push after twenty minutes. Seventh overall was good and I had a great support from the fans as I was the best Italian rider. Next weekend I contest the Motocross of Nations for my country and hope we can make a good result.”