Brno MotoGP: Ben Spies sorry to see Jorge Lorenzo struggle

Ben Spies came out in sympathy for factory Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo after the Spaniard’s bungled tyre choice saw his world title hopes suffer a major blow in Brno.

Despite the hottest track conditions of the weekend for yesterday’s 22-lap race, Lorenzo decided to race with Bridgestone’s soft compound front tyre.

Only Lorenzo and Suzuki’s Alvaro Bautista chose to run the softer option and the reigning world champion could only finish fourth after leading for the opening two laps.

Spies, who finished in a brave fifth, told MCN he had not even considered using the softer front because of his riding style and he said: “It was just a bad mistake and he has a different riding style which can suit the softer tyre. So he was in limbo of which was better or worse.  For me the harder option is always better because of the way I brake and ride. He was in a predicament, which happened to me at Laguna with the rear tyre. For me there was no option but the hard but I feel for Jorge because he just went the wrong way.”

Lorenzo’s bad tyre decision and Casey Stoner’s romp to a sixth win of the season moved the Australian into a commanding 32-point lead in the championship.
Spies salvaged a brilliant fifth from a difficult weekend after he was plagued by a trapped nerve in his neck, which caused severe pain and numbness in his left arm.

The 2009 World Superbike champion said: “That was a hard race. I wanted to quit every lap past the ninth. I tried as hard as I could and didn’t make too many mistakes. I didn’t fall off and I finished so it was a good result. That was the hardest physical race I’ve ever done. We got it finished, put it behind us and we scored some points.”

For more reaction from Lorenzo and Spies, see Wednesday’s MCN.