Cal Crutchlow happy with shoulder recovery

Cal Crutchlow has told MCN he is making excellent progress in his recovery following major shoulder surgery earlier this month.

The former World Supersport champion underwent an operation to repair extensive damage in his left shoulder that he first injured during a testing crash at the Portimao track in Portugal in late 2009.

Crutchlow’s operation was almost identical to the surgery undertaken by nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi last month after a right shoulder issue blighted the Italian’s season.

Crutchlow has been spending 90-minutes a day holed up in a hyperbaric chamber on the Isle of Man while also going through intensive treatment with renowned physiotherapist Isla Scott for an hour a day.

Crutchlow, who still has to sleep in a sling and is only able to train on a static pushbike, told MCN: “I am really happy with the way the recovery is progressing. It aches a little bit every now and again but I’ve spent a lot of time in the hyperbaric chamber and that seems to be helping a lot.

“I’ve got another week in the sling but I’m able to do some normal tasks like doing the washing up. I’ve been doing two hours a day on a static pushbike and that is incredibly boring.

“I’ve been doing an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon just to try and break it up but to start with all I could was sit up because I couldn’t even hold the handlebars. I’m getting sick of just staring at a wall.

“I can go out and cycle for three or four hours and love it but just sitting there is so boring. I’ve also been doing other exercises like holding a ball and making movements like a window cleaner because I can’t do any weights at the moment.”

Crutchlow will be back in MotoGP action for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad in Sepang in early February and he said: “That is a physical circuit with lots of hard braking and this going to be the major test of how the shoulder is but I am confident I am going to be okay.”

Crutchlow is due to fly to California on January 2 for a two-week winter training camp with Tech 3 Moto2 rider Bradley Smith. The pair are both backed by Monster so will be training with John Hopkins, who is close to wrapping up a deal to ride for Crescent Suzuki in the British Superbike series.