It’s been an unlucky day yesterday for Tony Cairoli, member of the Team Italy, with Lupino and AXO rider Guarneri, selected to represent their country at the 65^th edition of the Motocross of Nations, held in St Jean d’Angely. After an excellent qualifying race, where Tony clinched second behind American Dungey, Tony crashed twice in the first race and broke his left scaphoid.

Cairoli had a good start, but crashed at the first corner: he rejoined the race in the very last position, tried to come back, but after two laps, when he was already 20^th, he lost control of the bike, landed badly and hurt his hand. Tony tried to race the second heat, but he had to give up after a couple of laps…with Tony’s and Lupino’s DNFs, the best Italian rider turned out to be the AXO flagship rider Guarneri, who rode two solid races to finish eighth and fifth. In the end, with Team Italy only sixteenth, Team USA obtained their 22nd Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations victory in Saint Jean d’Angely ahead of team France and team Australia.

Antonio Cairoli: “Yesterday we were very happy with second in qualifying then today I had a good start in the first race but there was some soft mud in the first corner and I went down. I got back in the race and I was in 16th place and riding well and really pushing, maybe a bit too much and I crashed again and damaged the bike and hurt my hand.”

At Aragon, scene of the MotoGP Gran Prix of Spain, a fighting Smith came back from fifteenth in the grid to clinch a well deserved sixth spot at the chequered flag, while Simon continued with his fightback from injury.  His right leg is still causing him problems, despite a phenomenal performance in qualifying on Saturday. Difficulties with his rear brake control meant that it would be a tough time for the Spaniard at his home round, and he had to improvise his lines in order to stay upright. Seventeenth place was a creditable result for Simón under the circumstances, and tomorrow he will head to the USP Clinic to see Dr. Ángel Villamor. If surgery is the best way to treat the injury, then a procedure will take place this week.