2019 MXGP Of Lombardia | Antonio Cairoli GoPro Onboard
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2019 MXGP OF LOMBARDIA | COMPLETE COVERAGE
After roughly a month off from competition (an issue with a race that was set to be held in Asia caused a late schedule change and break), the 2019 Monster Energy FIM Motocross World Championship picked back up with the fifth round of the season, the 2019 MXGP of Lombardia. The Lombardia round has been held at two different Italian tracks in recent years, Mantova and Ottobiano, and this year marked the return to the sandy circuit of Mantova. I was lucky enough to go to Mantova in 2016 when it was one of two stops on Chad Reed’s vacation tour through Europe and was impressed by the facility thanks to its location on the edge of a bustling town, a layout that has plenty of turns, well-placed jumps, and just enough elevation to mix up lines. And it’s in Italy, which is always nice to see…
Antonio Cairoli has controlled the MXGP series standing since the first gate drop in Argentina and although it’s early, it’s hard to go against the multi-time champion for another title. The Red Bull KTM MXGP rider has been stable on the bike and has avoided costly crashes, something that his competition can’t seem to copy, and he now holds a forty-point advantage over Tim Gajser in the standings.
Saturday was the qualifying portion of the MXGP weekend and Cairoli led the field from start to finish to the checkered flag. Thanks to a GoPro HERO7 camera on the top of Cairoli’s helmet, we’re able to see his line choices and hear just how he handled the KTM 450 SX-F over the chop. Finesse has long been the key to Cairoli’s speed, as he rarely buries the bike into turns, hops obstacles without much issue or struggle, and plans his lines well in advance. All of that worked well in the sands of Mantova, as he swept all three of the weekend’s motos.
