BY RIZWAN REHMAT
DOHA: Dirt-track racing giant Antonio Cairoli of Italy and American star Ryan Villopoto will go head-to-head in the 2015 FIM World Motocross Championship MXGP opener at Losail International Circuit tomorrow.
Cairoli will ride for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing knowing that he has arrived in Qatar well prepared, but the feisty Villopoto, who has five AMA Outdoor Motocross championships and five AMA Supercross titles to his name, is ready to test his skills against the eight-time world champion.
“The championship is at a different level from the past. It’s beginning of the new season,” Cairoli said yesterday.
“We are looking forward to the races. We ran a few races but we are looking at the serious stuff now,” the defending champion said.
“For sure the competition will be tougher (in 2015),” the 29-year-old said. “It’s always difficult to find something new. Everybody is getting faster and stronger.
“You try to invent something new. My motivation for the sport is the same. I love the bike. Even if I was not racing, I would be riding as I love the bike. It’s just the passion I have for the bike. That’s what I bring every day to training also,” the Italian bike legend added.
Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Villopoto said he couldn’t wait to begin racing in 2015.
“So far the preparation’s been good,” Villopoto said yesterday.
“I am sure all the have been waiting for the start for a long time. For me, I want to do what I can so that I know I am ready. I will be racing,” the 26-year-old said.
“This should be interesting for me and everybody who’s involved. I think we are ready. I think I will have to learn very quickly. The guys here are no slouches. They are really good.
“They will catch me up at some places and I will catch them up at some places. I think we are going to have a long season and very good races,” the American said.
Villopoto said he is on his maiden Qatar trip and he felt right at “home”.
“It’s my first time in Qatar. Actually this place reminds me of Las Vegas,” Villopoto said.
“When you come to Las Vegas there’s desert all around and then when you reach the big city then you see the lights, the skyscrapers and the hotels etc.
“Actually, when we arrived here and when I saw the big roads I said to the guys it reminds me of back home. For me, it’s interesting. Every time we get off the plane, we see something new. Every time we go to the US, it’s the same. That’s what keeps me interested,” he said.
Villopoto gave his approval to racing under floodlights. “Yeah, it’s good. At Colorado we raced under lights one,” he said.
“I think here we have a proper circuit and we have lights which are much better here. I will go out and check the track. I think they got every aspect of the circuit well equipped,” he said.
Belgium’s Jeremy van Horebeek — who finished second behind Cairoli last season in MXGP — said he was ready for the first race of the season to be held tomorrow following qualifying sessions tonight.
The Yamaha Factory Racing rider won’t be overlooked this year. With 12 podiums last year, from a possible 17, 11 of which were consecutive, a MXGP win tomorrow is possible in Qatar.
“Last year, I was second in the championship. This year I want to do one better,” van Horebeek said.
“That’s the goal. We’ll see. It’s a long season. I had a great off-season. We prepared better than last season,” he said.
THE PENINSULA
