The battle of the decade between Ben Townley and Antonio Cairoli

The 2011 battle for the FIM World MX1 Championship between Ben Townley and Antonio Cairoli might just be the battle of the decade. The last ten years have seen many amazing battles in the MX1 class. Back in the early 2000’s legendary riders Stefan Everts, Joel Smets and Mickael Pichon were major rivals. Everts just winning the 500cc title in 2001 from Smets by 21 points after Smets scored 1-1-1 in the final three rounds, while Everts went DNF-2-2. Everts had held a 56 point lead until his DNF in Lierop.

A year later Everts again beat Smets this time by 39pts in the 500cc class.

Of course back in 2003 three legends Everts, Pichon and Smets al fought for the MotocrossGP title. Amazingly Pichon started the year with 1-1-1 results and looked like he was heading for World title number three, that was until Everts decided to also race the MX2 class and started putting together win after win after win. Such a form reversal as Everts won the last nine rounds of the MotocrossGP class and eight of the last nine rounds of the MX2 class. In the end the Championship was decided when Joel Smets could only finish with 25 points from the final two rounds to 50pts by Everts. Everts winning the title by 40pts.

With Smets and Pichon retiring Everts rode roughshod over his rivals, winning the 2004, 2005 and 2006 titles with ease, winning in 04 by 66pts, 05 by 69pts and his final year in the sport in 2006 by a massive 210 points.

Since Everts retirement it’s been Steve Ramon who won in the year Josh Coppins should have. Ramon winning by 33pts. David Philippaerts won in 2008 and rode amazingly, although only winning the Championship by 14 points from Steve Ramon and Ken De Dycker a further five points back.

Last season Antonio Cairoli picked up his third World Motocross Championship by winning the MX1 class from Max Nagl, the gap being just 36pts. This year the little Italian won from Clement Desalle with the point’s gap being 88pts.

The question now is, can Townley reproduce the form that took him to his 2004 World MX2 Championship and that magic season when he battled Ryan Villopoto in the AMA 250cc Championship, or will he continue to make mistakes as he has done this year. There is no doubt the New Zealander wants that MX1 Championship, it was one of his goals when he left for America five years ago to return and win once again in Europe. With a winter of thought and time to once again put his body and soul into the right place he will be hard to beat. His speed is without question right up there with the likes of Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto and Cairoli.

As for Cairoli, just like Stefan Everts before him has moved to the top of the pack in the FIM World Motocross Championship. He is our pin-up boy, the one we all look to when the MXoN comes around he is the one we expect to battle with the American riders.

Cairoli has proven the last five years that he belongs in the record books with the likes of De Coster, Geboers, Hallman, Robert, Malherbe, Rahier, (Harry) Evert, Jobe, Thorpe, (Stefan) Everts and Smets, and he is the one that we expect to never give up and always have a back-up plan if things don’t go his way.

What will happen when Townley puts pressure on the Italian, how will he respond, can he come back if Townley starts the season on fire. The same can be said for Townley. How will he react if Cairoli is clearly smarter and faster. The European circuits have changed a lot since BT was here in 2005 and while there is no doubt he can adapt as he had to in America, but how quickly can he do that.

Just the thought of Cairoli and Townley going head to head for a Championship is mouth watering and I for one wouldn’t dare predict the winner.

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