Antonio Cairoli is coming back to AMA Pro Motocross, and the nine-time MXGP World Champion is set to line up at RedBud, Southwick and Millville with Ducati. We have not seen Tony race since last year’s Motocross des Nations, but any time the number 222 shows up behind a gate, it gets people’s attention.

Justin Barcia and Dylan Ferrandis both have had their struggles this year. It will be interesting to see how Antonio fits in with the U.S. crew.

Last year, Cairoli came over for RedBud and Millville to help give Ducati its American debut with the Desmo450 MX. He finished ninth in his first moto at RedBud and 10th in his second moto at Millville, giving the new program a solid starting point on American soil. Since then, the Ducati has continued to develop with Justin Barcia, Dylan Ferrandis and the TLD Factory Racing team putting a lot of work into the platform.

Antonio Cairoli is one of the best motocross racers ever.

Cairoli’s career speaks for itself. He is one of the greatest motocross riders of all time, with nine world championships, a Motocross des Nations win with Team Italy, and a legacy built on consistency, race craft, and longevity. Even after stepping away from full-time racing, he has remained heavily involved in bike development, which makes this Ducati project even more interesting.

As he gets older, he remains competitive. It will be interesting to see how he stacks up with the young field of riders.

At 40 years old, it is extra cool to see Cairoli still willing to line up for one-off races and test himself against a stacked group of American front-runners. He does not have anything left to prove, but that is what makes it even better. We are excited to see how Tony and the Ducati Desmo450 MX stack up in the coming weeks.