Crutchlow: "I highsided off throttle"

Difficult weekend and disappointing race for the rider from Coventry

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) was left disappointed after crashing out of the Japanese GP in torrential conditions, highsiding initially and then heading back out on the second bike, hoping to fight for some points. But it wasn’t to be as a second incident hit the Brit, and he was left empty handed after a difficult weekend.

“I was fighting at the start of the race, but I was really far back in the pack and there was so much spray from the other bikes I think all the riders found it very difficult to see,” explains the LCR rider. “Then unfortunately I crossed the river at turn seven, there was some rear brake pressure and I highsided the bike off throttle. But I remounted and took the spare bike and then had a very strange crash as I was not pushing hard and was about to enter the pits in one more lap because I was not going to score any points. We hit the stream of water in the back straight, but it was a really mysterious crash the second one.”

That leaves Crutchlow hoping for more at Phillip Island, but the good vibes should be back in Australia: it’s where the LCR rider took his second MotoGP™ victory last season, and in some style.

“We have to take the positives to Phillip Island, which are that I won there last year,” affirms Crutchlow, “but there have been no real positives from the Japanese Grand Prix apart from visiting Japan itself.”

Australia gets going on Friday as the triple-header makes it second stop-off.