US MotoGP: Poor run continues for Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow suffered another bitterly disappointing MotoGP weekend after he crashed out in the early stages of yesterday’s US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.

The British rider was trying to stay in touch with factory Suzuki rider Alvaro Bautista in a battle for 10th when he lost the front-end of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine at the second corner on lap four.

Crutchlow’s YZR-M1 machine was too badly damaged to continue and his failure to finish continued a sudden dip in results for the 25-year-old.

He’s collected just four-points in the last four races as he continues to struggle to iron out a lingering front-end issue that has dogged him since the Mugello race in Italy earlier this month.

The former World Supersport champion, who has slipped down to 15th in the overall points rankings, said: “I lost the front at the second corner and it was a similar problem to what we’ve been experiencing in recent races. It was fine in Warm-up in cooler conditions but as soon as the track temperature goes up, I have a few problems. Strangely it was only at that corner. It is a shame because I think we had a good pace.

“Bautista wasn’t getting away from me and he quickly got up to Valentino (Rossi) and Nicky (Hayden), so I think I could have gone with him and been in that battle. I’m disappointed I didn’t finish the race and it is not good for the championship but I wasn’t the only one to crash and it shows all of us are pushing on the limit. We have still learned quite a bit this weekend and the bike certainly felt better than it did in the last few races. Now we go to some tracks that I know and I’m looking forward to it because it has been a tough run and I need to recover the form I was showing in the beginning of the season.”

See the July 27 issue of Motor Cycle News for more news from Crutchlow and team-mate Colin Edwards.