Misano MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow blows golden podium chance

Cal Crutchlow blew a great chance to claim a second successive MotoGP rostrum after he crashed out of contention on lap five in Misano.

The British rider was lining up an attack on Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Andrea Dovizioso when he lost the front-end of his YZR-M1 machine at Turn One.

The 2009 World Supersport champion was unable to remount and get back in the race after a bent right handlebar jammed his throttle and the Coventry rider was lamenting a missed chance to make an immediate return to the rostrum.

The 26-year-old became the first British rider in 12 years to claim a premier class podium at the previous round in Brno and he told MCN: “I crashed and that was my own fault. The worst thing is getting away with Dovi in front of you because he holds you up.

“He is so late on the brakes but corner speed and acceleration he is not that different. He is just so good on the brakes and he goes so deep on the brakes.

“I made a hash of the start but I didn’t feel that was my fault. I am notorious for getting s**t starts and it’s something we need to work on.

“But even the guys have seen on the data that I release the clutch and nothing happens. I sit with it on the bite and I thought it was but it wasn’t and then when I released it nothing happened.

“I lost three places in one lap and I had to change a map straightaway as I noticed I didn’t have enough acceleration compared to the others. I got stuck behind Dovi for a few laps and just as I was about to pass him I crashed. It’s is simple as that and I can’t say anymore, it was my own fault.”

Crutchlow believes he could have comfortably battled for second place behind eventual winner Jorge Lorenzo and he added: “I really feel we had the pace to get away with Lorenzo. I may not have stayed with him for the whole race but I definitely felt I had the pace to be able to go with him.

“We were very strong in two sectors and the two that were not his best, so probably there would be a yo-yo affect. I could have hung with him for a while and if you drop off then I still would have been on the podium.

“I think we have let an easy podium go. We are still struggling with stopping the bike at the start of the race.”

For the exclusive thoughts from Crutchlow on his Misano spill, see the September 19 issue of MCN.