Every rider who has ever raced has been in a position where regardless of how much work you put in sometimes things just don’t go your way. That was the case for Marco Cannella this past season after he spent months training down south and entered the 2022 Triple Crown Series as one of the title favourites in the 250 class. But after some sub-par finishes in the opening west rounds, Marco wasn’t able to meet his pre-season expectations and then quickly things began to go downhill. Marco tried his best to right the ship but unfortunately, with three rounds to go he got injured and was forced to sit out the remainder of the series. Obviously, things didn’t go as planned but in racing sometimes that is the way it goes. We caught up with Marco to see what he’s been up to and what his plans are heading into 2023.
MXP: Hey Marco! It feels like it’s been a long time. How are you?
MC: I’m doing okay, right now I’m just working and doing some side painting projects. I know I’ve been a little MIA lately but honestly, the time has just flown by. When I think about it I cannot believe that I haven’t raced since July at Sand Del Lee. The past few months have just been a blur that’s for sure.
Okay, let’s jump right into this and talk about the summer. You came into the 2022 Triple Crown Series as one of the favourites to win the 250 title. We spoke a year ago when you had several offers to choose from, including a 450 deal for 2022 and you told me that you really wanted to stay in the 250 class and win a championship. I think the series started off well in Kamloops but then something went wrong. What happen?
Palms, that is a great question and I wish I had a good answer to it. The truth is that I have no idea what happen. I worked my ass off in the off-season to make sure I was ready, I came into Kamloops feeling really confident, Kevin Tyler and the MX101 Yamaha Team had the bike working really well, so I’m not sure exactly what happened after the opening round. Because I felt like I rode well in Kamloops and was almost on the podium.
Like you said you did everything you could in the off-season and obviously, you came into 2022 with the mindset of winning a championship. Sometimes when an athlete comes into a situation with very high expectations they end up putting way too much pressure on themselves and it can be overwhelming. Now that you’ve had some time to reflect on the summer do you think it could be a little or a lot of that?
Yes, that could’ve been it for sure. I did put a lot of pressure on myself to be the guy who wins motos and ends up winning the title. Since I’d won races in 2021 I knew I could do it again this year. I was happy with how the opening round went but even in Kamloops something felt off and I couldn’t ride to the level I wanted to. Then in Round 2 I was really off and didn’t have a good day at all. That added to the pressure because in my head I was like ‘what the hell is wrong?’. At Round 3 in Manitoba, it was ungodly hot and everyone was suffering. I was excited because I’ve always done well in challenging conditions but that day I just couldn’t get out of my own way. The harder I tried the worse I felt and the further behind I fell. My entire body felt like it was shutting down and to this day I don’t know why.
I think every rider has had those moments when pressure and expectation affect how they ride. It’s just so much more amplified at your level. So you got the west over with and then the series headed east to tracks that you’re not only familiar with but that you also won at last year. You had some podium moto finishes at Walton One and Gopher Dunes but at SDL things didn’t go well and then you got hurt. Through those opening eastern rounds did you feel like things were slowly turning around?
Yes and no! The podium finishes were a positive sign for sure, but I was still unable to put two solid motos together in a day. Mentally I was really struggling, and my frustration level was high. I just felt like I should be winning motos and when I wasn’t it was hard to accept. At that point, everyone was frustrated, including the team, and then when I got hurt I was just over it. I work hard during the week and I go to races to do a job and perform at a certain level and when you finally realize that your season is pretty much done I’ll be the first to admit that it’s hard to keep going to the races and not race. So from that point on I just kind of stayed at home and tried to heal up and then I went to work and like I said, here we are now and a few months have gone by.
I agree with you that after putting in so much work to try and not only win but also to be a championship contender, once that dream kind of dies for the season the last thing you want to do is still be around the track on the weekends. The only problem is that these days with Social Media and the fans at the track there is so much more to a pro rider’s job than just racing. Back in my day you could just go home and lick your wounds and then come back when you were ready. However, now pro riders are expected to be much more accessible whether they’re injured or not.
I agree and that is something I struggled with and moving forward I know I have to work on it. I’m not saying that every rider doesn’t work hard but I just put so much mental and physical effort into training and racing that when it doesn’t go the way I planned I just want to pull back and regroup.
It sounds as though you’ve learned a lot this year even though things didn’t go as planned. Looking ahead to next year and what you want to do. What are your plans?
Well, right now I don’t have any plans or even a ride for 2023. I want to go racing I know that. Obviously, things are tight and there aren’t many spots available for next year but I’d like to find something.
So you want to go racing and I feel like if I sat down and made a list of the elite Canadian riders your name is not only on it but near the top. I think your best days are ahead of you and honestly, I’ve always thought that your best results are going to come on a 450. I told you that a year ago. Anyway, if a Team Manager was reading this what would you like to say to them and also to the entire industry?
Thank you for the kind words Palms, I definitely want to continue racing and if that is on a 450 then I know I could do very well. I think I just want to let everyone know that I’m ready to put this year behind me and focus on 2023 and beyond. I’ve been not only training hard but I’ve been training different. I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and honestly I’ve never felt better. I was without a road bike for several months so I hit the gym and now I’m feeling strong and really good with where I’m at. I’d love to go back to the MX101 Yamaha Team as over the past few seasons they’ve been like family to me, but, at this point, I’m open to whatever else might be out there.
Sounds good Marco! I don’t think there’s a pro rider in Canada who at some point hasn’t been where you are right now, myself included. It’s never been easier to promote yourself and your brand with Social Media and personal Vlog’s. I can’t think of one Canadian rider who does any consistent video content other than perhaps Cole Thompson and it would be cool if we could see more. It sounds as though you’re very motivated to go racing in 2023 as I can hear it in your voice. I do believe there is a fit for you out you just have to go out and make it happen.
I think you’re right! I’ve spoken to a few people but I need to do more and make something happen soon.
Well, good luck to you and thank you for taking the time to chat. I know we’ve been trying to do this interview for over a month so it’s good we finally got it done.
Yes, we’ve been back and forth and trading calls and texts. It’s no worries though we got it done. Thank you for reaching out it’s always good to chat with you!