Crutchlow has double trouble
Cal Crutchlow was lucky to come away from the opening round of the 2017 MotoGP world championship unscathed, after not one but two crashes in short succession during Sunday’s race. The LCR Honda rider was left furious after the race, after a decision by his team to change from the hardest option of Michelin front tyre to the medium option. It was a decision made without his consent, leaving him unable to achieve what he expected in the race. “We changed the front tyre on the grid and we shouldn’t have. We knew that the medium option tyre was too soft, but because the race was later than expected they were concerned about it. It was completely the wrong decision, but it was taken out of my hands. That doesn’t usually happen to me. “I started the race in a good position, but riding behind the other guys was impossible. The front tyre was way too hot, I went off line a tiny bit at the last corner, and I crashed. We lost the chance for a good result thanks to a poor decision on the grid.” But things went from bad to worse after the initial fall, as the Brit came tumbling down only a lap later, reigniting the debate about riders restarting on crashed bikes. Crutchlow explained: “The throttle stuck wide open. The handlebar was bent, the grip was covered in muck, and I should have just pulled in. I was actually going to pull in anyway to use the compressor to blow some of the muck off it and try to finish the race, but I didn’t get the chance. “The bike accelerated, I shut the throttle, and the grip wouldn’t turn, and I grabbed the front brake and had to jump off it. “I have a never-give-up attitude and thought I could still finish the race, which is important to me. But I had to bale off the thing fast. It hurt, it wasn’t a small crash, but this is racing and I started the season last year in the same position.”
‘We changed the front tyre on the grid. It was completely wrong’ CAL CRUTCHLOW