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MotoGP, Iannone: "Today I was riding with only one arm"

Dovizioso: "The Ducati requires too much strength, but we could have battled with Crutchlow"

Iannone: "Today I was riding with only one arm"

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He was one of the favourites to win, but the pain in his arm most likely conditioned him. Andrea Iannone continued to push at Silverstone, without ever giving up, particularly in the duel with Crtuchlow, Rossi and Marquez. It was a crash caused by a pothole that took him out of the race.

“I’m happy anyway, because I think I raced well and we had the right speed. The biggest obstacle was the pain in my forearm nine laps from the end. I had two solutions: return to pit lane, since I had no feeling and I was struggling to control the bike because I was riding without control, or keep going without thinking about the championship standings. I had no strength and I was suffering a lot.”

What happened when you fell?   

I hit the only pothole there was, which made me lose the front end and fall to the ground immediately. It’s disappointing because I did everything possible, particularly looking after the tyres. The soft tyre was the right choice for both the front and the rear.”

Your future bike proved to be a winner.

“I’m happy for Suzuki. In the last three races they have taken steps forward, but we have also improved. I think I am faster, but the bike still moves around too much in acceleration. The positive thing is that I did not push to the limit, but only 80%, showing that I am competitive.”

How much does this problem concern you?

“I had this problem in 2013 and, in fact, I had surgery. Now, this is the first time it has happened. I’ll have an MRI done in Italy to see what the situation is. I think it is due to the bike and also the circuit. I put forth my best effort and gave it my all. Riding with one arm is definitely not simple.”

With Iannone forced to retire, Andrea Dovizioso took care of saving race Sunday for the Ducati camp. However, the rider from Forlì had his own share of difficulties. 

I’m disappointed because I didn’t have the energy since my forearm was also hurting. Starting from the fourth row proved to be a difficulty and then the second start was not as good as the first. Among other things, I also lost time overtaking Lorenzo.”

What is the encouraging aspect?

 “We have speed, but the bike requires too much strength to ride in a non-flowing way. Until mid-race I was unable to do what I wanted to, which created various problems.”

What causes the arm problem?

This is a technical problem. When I caught up with the group we could have made a play for second place, but I was really exhausted. Anyway, the fact that we are close to the lead group demonstrates the step forward that we have taken.”

Ducati seems to be the gentlest with the tyres.

“We opted for the soft because it guaranteed more speed than the hard.”    

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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