GIVI Magazine - Maggio 2016

THE SECOND LIFE CAL CRUTCHLOW THE ENTHUSIASM AROUND THE WORLD OF TWO WHEELS IN THE UK IS KNOWN WORLDWIDE AND TODAY IS INCONCEIVABLE WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF A BRAND LIKE GIVI, PRESENT IN THE MIND OF EVERY ENGLISH RIDER SINCE LONG AGO. HOWANDWHEN DID YOU START YOUR CAREER AS A RIDER… I started my career as a rider when I was 12 years old. Around 1998, 1999, I was playing soccer all the time and also making a bit of living with it as well before I started to be a rider, but I always had a passion for riding the mo- torcycle, so I started very late as a motorcycle racer, I mean really late. And I believe this is why I still now have some difficulties in some areas that I didn’t understand when I was a kid. WHEN YOU STARTED RACINGWHOWAS YOUR IDOL (RIDER)? When I was racing and I was young my idol was Valentino. But what chan- ged everything for me really was Mick Doohan, because Mick was still racing then. So it was Mick and then Valentino. But I also had two others which were Chris Walker and Neil Hodgson, because they were battling with each other in the British Superbike Championship. Then I became teammate with Chris and he was little less of an idol, only because he was my teammate, not because I didn’t like him because I’m still very good friends with him now, but I mean just because he was my teammate. And then Neil Hodgson became less of an idol just because he works in here now as well. THE MAN THE RIDER IS IT DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE YOUR PRIVATE LIFE FROM THE PUBLIC LIFE AS A TOPMOTOGP RIDER LIKE YOU ARE? I think it’s difficult to separate the private life from the public life a little. I’m sure not Valentino, not the most popular. But sometimes it’s difficult you know, if you want to go to have something to eat and somebody is taking a picture of you it pisses me off, because they have to respect that you are trying to eat or that you are not in your job. I didn’t ask to be famous, I asked to be a motorcycle racer or I am a motorcycle racer. I always give 100% to the fans as much as possible all the time, I try my best with them, I understand that they buy themotorcycle and we can race, they buy the helmet and other racing goods. So I am really respectful for this and I am grateful. But some- times when you are doing some things when you are busy or we are here at the race and have a schedule to do things – it’s not so easy just to be able to take one picture, because one picture is ten pictures because you cannot say to one person yes and the next person no. So sometimes it’s difficult to manage but I think I do a good job with this. I think for the riders like Valenti- no and these guys it’s a lot more difficult than for me. YOU LIVE IN THE ISLE OF MAN. TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PLACE . Living in the Isle of Man is cool. I love living in the Isle of Man, honestly. People ask me why I live there because sometimes it’s raining a lot. I wouldn’t chan- ge living there, it’s a spectacular place when the TT is on and also when it is off. I love it when it is off because then it is calm but I also love the madness of when the TT is on so it’s a perfect combination for me. DO YOU STILL SEE YOUR FRIENDS FROMTHE CHILDHOOD? I do still see them, but not enough. It’s the same with everybody in this pad- dock I think, you don’t get to see your friends enough because you are travel- ling, especially being a rider you don’t really go home, you have a few homes. It’s difficult but I still keep in contact with them all the time. I’m sure when I retire I will probably have some more time for doing those things. WHICH KIND OF SCHOOL DID YOU ATTEND? IF YOU WERE NOT A RI- DERWHATWOULD YOU HAVE LIKED TO BE? When I went to school I went to a normal school but I didn’t like it. I didn’t like school at all. Not because I was naughty and didn’t want to learn, I wanted to learn but I was not so interested. I think it’s good to go to school but I don’t think you learn as much as not going to school. You can learn the small things, you can learn the alphabet, talking a language… But in my life I got to travel, to race the motorcycle, and I learned more, I feel. This is not to say don’t go to school! I honestly believe I learned a lot of stuff myself. Learning and wanting to understand stuff outside of school. If I didn’t race the motorcycle I would want to race the bicycle. At one time I played football so all I was interested in was football, but now I would say I want to race the bicycle. A DAY IN THE LIFE OFF TRACK. I spend a lot of the morning till lunchtime on the bicycle, so I get up without Lucy, get breakfast, go out on the bicycle and then when I arrive home she is ready to do whatever we want in the afternoon. Maybe I’m busy…. Lucy do- esn't like the cinema – I love the cinema. I’m normally busy with some things around the house, the bank… Honestly by the time we are home you want to relax because we are constantly doingmany things with regards to travelling all the time. So sometimes it’s just nice being at home with Lucy. 8  Givi Interview