Cal Crutchlow crashes twice in Sepang

Cal Crutchlow had a forgettable opening day of MotoGP testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia today after the British rider suffered two crashes in searing hot conditions.

Severely weakened by a chronic bout of food poisoning he began suffering on a flight from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider first tumbled out this morning at the first gear Turn 9 left-hander.

His second crash occurred just before the start of the final hour at the exact same spot in identical circumstances as he lost the front-end of his YZR-M1 machine. He walked unhurt from both but packed up early as he struggled with the lingering affects of the food poisoning in typically sizzling Sepang conditions.

The former World Supersport champion finished 15th overall on the timesheets with a best lap of 2.02.936 to end the day just under two seconds adrift of Casey Stoner’s Repsol Honda.

The Coventry rider told MCN: “I had two crashes in the first gear hairpin. The front-end of the bike is still too high and I’m just going over the limit because the only way I can get the bike to turn is by using the brake for longer,”

Crutchlow was still satisfied with his pace as he lapped just outside of his best lap of 2.02.717 set at Sepang a fortnight ago.

He added: “I’ve got good speed and I went just as fast as I went at the last test and consistently the same pretty much from the start, which is good. But we are trying to work on so many things at once it is really difficult. I’ve got to change the braking style, the clutch control and corner speed from a production bike to the MotoGP bike and trying to get everything to link in is not as easy as saying it. But I am not worried and I did my best lap time at the hottest part of the day when it is the hardest.”

Crutchlow though was clearly struggling physically after a gruelling trip to the Far East.

He caught food poisoning en route to Kuala Lumpur and he needed to go an intravenous drip in a makeshift treatment room set up by the Clinica Mobile to rehydrate this evening.

He said: “It has not been ideal coming here and being so sick. I’m so drained with not eating for a day and just being sick. With the heat I can’t do much more than I am. I must have drunk about six litres of water a day but I’m still feeling a bit dodgy with the stomach. I had some bad food on the plane and for one day I was completely sick. In the heat it is extra tough for me.”