Retirement To Red: Unexpected Encore 2

If you'd told me a few years ago that I'd be stood in Millville, Minnesota, in July 2025, about to interview Antonio Cairoli – draped in Ducati red – I wouldn't have believed it. Cairoli retired at the end of 2021, back when Ducati had not even whispered about off-road competition.

Ducati is fortunate to be developing its new project with a nine-time world champion – and an Italian icon at that – but this dynamic has also given '222' a much-needed outlet. Cairoli's passion for riding runs deep, so much so that he once wrestled with KTM over how much time he should spend aboard a machine in retirement. The decision to restrict him to a desk job in 2023 was a misstep – born from a need to justify his role in the ecosystem – that only reinforced how much he needs to ride.

"I have expressed my will to race," Cairoli snickered, referencing a growing list of appearances. Millville marked his fourth start of the season with more opportunities looming in the form of Budds Creek, the SMX Finals and the Motocross of Nations. That spread reflects Cairoli's enduring enthusiasm but also invites questions about the wisdom of his initial decision to step away four seasons ago. Still competitive and clearly motivated, is retirement a choice that he now regrets?

"I think that there was some pressure around here and there to make the decision to retire," Cairoli admitted with candor. "I made it myself in the end, of course, but I think if I could have been a bit more mentally… I was a bit tired of MXGP's format. This was also a reason to stop. But, on the other hand, I could've been in the battle for more world championships. I was a bit biting my fingers. This is just how it is." Cairoli won his final world title in 2017, four years before he retired.

It was the next season, one in which he was beaten by 101 points, that he considers a near miss. "I was probably unlucky with the 2018 title as well," Cairoli reflected with a smile. "It was the best that we saw Jeffrey Herlings – tricky to beat – and he was super clean. I think that was my best year. I trained so hard, the speed was unreal, and he just made no mistakes. Jeffrey and I were on another level compared to the rest." The duo won 39 of the 40 motos that season.

Now 39, Cairoli remains competitive – he posted 23-10 scores at Millville – and believes he has earned the right to represent Italy at the 2025 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Mattia Guadagnini has endured a hard term riddled with injuries but remains a likely pick for Gli Azzurri, while Alberto Forato poses the clearest threat to Cairoli's ambitions. "I have been in front of those riders every time I've raced in MXGP," he stated, plainly. "I respect both sides, however, and know that the federation is for the kids."

There's almost no way to predict where, and when, Cairoli will appear next with his Desmo450. The Motocross of Nations last visited the United States in 2022 and that was considered Cairoli's final farewell. Here he is, three years later, lobbying for another nomination and even considering a debut in American stadiums! "This has just come into my mind this week," he revealed. "The SMX is without whoops, so why not? You never know!"

"Why not?" A fitting tagline to Cairoli's post-retirement lifestyle.