Source: Supplied.

Antonio Cairoli kicked off his 2017 racing season with a dominant win in Riola Sardo for the opening round of the 2017 Italian Motocross Championship.

The Red Bull KTM rider topped a deep field of MXGP premier class regulars including reigning world champion, Tim Gajser, former world champion, Romain Febvre, along with Jeremy Van Horebeek, Evgeny Bobryshev and more.

One notable rider absent from the MX1 field in Riola Sardo was Jeffrey Herlings. The premier class rookie was forced out of the running prior to the event due to a stretched wrist tendon sustained while testing in Sardinia.

With eight-time world champion Cairoli claiming the overall victory comfortably, it was Van Horebeek who took out the runner-up position ahead of Gajser in third, Febvre in fourth and Bobryshev rounding out the top five.

In the MX2 category it was another Red Bull KTM rider, Jorge Prado, who claimed victory. The Spanish speedster was joined on the podium by Benoit Paturel and Alvin Ostlund with Pauls Jonass and Michele Cervellin taking out the final spots inside the top five.

To add to his successful weekend, Cairoli also took out the superpole portion of the event ahead of Van Horebeek, Gajser, Bobryshev and Glenn Coldenhoff. Red Bull KTM’s Pauls Jonass was the highest ranking MX2 contender in sixth position.