In his interview with Jase McAlpine, one of the GOATs of the game, Nine-time World Champ, Antonio Cairoli, admitted he had the option to go to America in 2006 with Yamaha of Troy!
Ultimately Cairoli said he chose not to go because he had no Supercross experience: “Actually, in 2006 I had an offer. I was talking with Yamaha of Troy at that time. That would have been sick, but I had never ridden a Supercross track in my life. I had to come here and see what I could do, but yeah, I never grew up as a kid with Supercross, never rode Supercross.
“I was already 20 years old, not so young anymore, and then I decided to not do it. In one way, I regret a bit because I really look up to Supercross and to races like that, but I was also quite smart on myself and say, okay, it’s nice, it’s shiny, it’s more money. I mean, I was not good in riding Supercross. It was a question mark for myself. If I was German or French, where they grow up a bit riding Supercross, it would be a bit easier for me to make the change, and for sure I will do it. Yeah, coming from Italy, especially South Italy, where there was not even a track close to a Supercross track, it was difficult.”
Cairoli of course rode some AMA outdoors after he retired from GPs, and was still a top five threat and was even top ten on a stock Ducati at 40 years old last year, to underline just why he is one of the greatest riders of all time. The Italian has always oozed talent and class.
