Photo: motogp.com
Bad news for Ducati as their new rider Cal Crutchlow will not race in the third round of the season. Ducati’s factory test-rider Michele Pirro will substitute for the Englishman as the MotoGP returns to Argentina after a prolonged absence.
Cal Crutchlow has a really lousy weekend in Austin, TX at the Circuit of the Americas, as he was first forced to swap bikes because of strange vibrations and poor tire grip, but crashed two laps later. Despite the fact that his accident looked very nasty, Crutchlow escaped with a dislocated little finger. However, further investigations in San Diego revealed a small fracture in his finger, requiring surgery.
The Ducati rider was operated and had a stabilizing pin inserted, but pain in his right hand prevented him from properly using the front brakes, so a safety-minded decision was made. Cal Crutchlow had already ridden around the new Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo last year, during a tire test, so his experience could have been a solid advantage for Ducati.
He continues treatment and prepares for the first European MotoGP race, at Jerez, May 2-4. “I am very sad to let the team down like this because I was really looking forward to racing in Argentina,” said Crutchlow. “On the Tuesday after Austin I had some scans on my hand and we saw that my finger was still dislocated from the crash and also broken so Dr. Chao decided to put a pin in to stabilize it. Unfortunately I’m still feeling too much pain in my right hand, my knuckles are the most painful part and I’m not in condition to race this weekend,” Cal Crutchlow told motogp.com.
The Ducati rider was operated and had a stabilizing pin inserted, but pain in his right hand prevented him from properly using the front brakes, so a safety-minded decision was made. Cal Crutchlow had already ridden around the new Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo last year, during a tire test, so his experience could have been a solid advantage for Ducati.
He continues treatment and prepares for the first European MotoGP race, at Jerez, May 2-4. “I am very sad to let the team down like this because I was really looking forward to racing in Argentina,” said Crutchlow. “On the Tuesday after Austin I had some scans on my hand and we saw that my finger was still dislocated from the crash and also broken so Dr. Chao decided to put a pin in to stabilize it. Unfortunately I’m still feeling too much pain in my right hand, my knuckles are the most painful part and I’m not in condition to race this weekend,” Cal Crutchlow told motogp.com.
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