GIVI Magazine - Dicembre 2020

ENGLISH TEXT At 35 years old, the English biker discarded his official MotoGP suit in favour of that of a Yamaha test rider. Over the last six seasons Cal has really taken LCR Honda and GIVI’s colours to dizzying heights. In this article we’ll take a look back at fan and media meetings in Brescia, visits to the company headquarters and the fair stand, time spent at the paddock, as well as friendship and mutual respect. A lion on the track. An excellent, brave driver. His decision to leave the track is to be respected, without speculation about the reasons behind a decision which - no doubt - follows extensive personal reflection. After 6 memorable years we can only thank Lucio Cecchinello and Cal for their hard work and dedication. We all loved his first MotoGP victory, also a team first for that level, and he has earned our applause and admiration countless times over the last six seasons. He stood on the podium 12 times, 3 of which as the winner, and became LCR HONDA’s most important rider of all time. In summary, over the course of his MotoGP career, Crutchlow has ridden in 169 Grand Prix, with 3 wins, 19 podiums and 4 pole positions, not to mention his achievements in Supersport and Superbike. To find another British driver with such a performance record you’d have to go back to the 1970s, the Barry Sheene era. GIVI immediately believed in Cal, as soon as he became “enrolled” in Lucio Cecchinello’s team. The year was 2015. The Brit made his MotoGP debut in 2011 and seemed full of promise, with his first podiums from 2012 onwards. The choice was a solid winner: in his first year of sponsorship, Cal achieved a podium finish in Argentina. The following year saw two wins for Cal, the first at Brno, the second at Phillip Island: such results led him to become Top Independent Team rider in 2016 and the only British rider to finish on the podium (2nd) at his home Grand Prix after decades of anticipation from fans. The Brit then returned to the podium in Argentina in 2017 and 2018, his third win, followed by two more podium positions in Misano and Motegi and a further three in 2019 in Qatar, Germany and Australia. The 2020 World Championship marks Crutchlow’s last year in the premier class. On Sunday 22nd November, at the end-of- season Portuguese Grand Prix, Cal graced the track for the final time with a points finish (13th). He did aim to do better and fought hard until the end, as he has become accustomed to. He came 4th in the qualifiers, displaying a solid pace on the track, starting well and overtaking Espargaro. However, the race then took a different turn and he had to settle for 13th place. Cal will leave, albeit reluctantly, a team that made him feel at home, a team he will always have an unbreakable bond with; his life will have changed, but he will still be seeing it from the seat of a motorbike, as a test rider for the brand which delivered him to his debut in the highest category: Yamaha. He takes over from Jorge Lorenzo, starting testing at Sepang as soon as February. A WORD FROM LUCIO CECCHINELLO “Cal Crutchlow has definitely been the most important rider in the history of the LCR Honda team. The results he achieved bolstered HONDA, with fundamental points for the World Manufacturers’’ Championship title. What he has done for the team is quite simply extraordinary. During the six seasons we have had together, we have also experienced difficult moments, accidents... but it is all part of this incredible sport, which provides such emotion, happiness and adrenaline. I think this real mix of emotions and sensations is why we love MotoGP. Cal Crutchlow will always be part of our family. We all wish him the very best in his professional future and in his private life, with his wife Lucy and his daughter Willow”. Cal was also featured on the cover of GIVI MAGAZINE in May 2016, with an article entitled “CAL CRUTCHLOW’S DOUBLE LIFE” which separated the man from the rider, with a glimpse into both his private life and that of a professional rider. Here is a short extract. We recommend you check it out and read it. “How difficult is it for a top MotoGP rider to separate private and public life? It’s definitely a bit difficult. Certainly, more so for super popular riders like Valentino... but everyone in the MotoGP circus lives with a certain notoriety. If I’m out to eat with some friends and there’s someone who insists on taking photos of you, I get very angry. I’d like people to respect private moments. I didn’t ask to be famous, I asked to be a motorbike racer and that’s what I am. I give fans 100% of myself on the track, I do everything I can to get on the podium. I understand the needs of the sponsors and I behave respectfully with regard to the timing of each day. Outside that context it’s not always easy to negotiate contact with fans, but it is another important aspect of my work. In general, I think I have learned how to handle it. But most important of all is to be fair: if you agree to taking a photo with someone, then you can’t say no when others make the same request. It’s part of the role I chose for myself. GOOD LUCK CAL! SIX SEASONS ON ONE TRACK! AN HOMAGE TO CAL CRUTCHLOW B E P P E D I E N A A D V www.givimoto.com H506FEPLR H506FEPMG H506FEPIT H506FEPBS H506FEPBR #GIVIHELMETS50.6 Realizzato con doppia calotta in materiale termoplastico, l’integrale 50.6 ha raggiunto elevatissimi standard qualitativi di finiture e comfort grazie anche ai nuovi interni in materiale anallergico completamente removibili e lavabili. L’eccellente ventilazione interna e la calzabilità sportiva ne fanno oggi un modello di riferimento. Visiera antigraffio mirrored, visierino interno fumé azionabile a comando e cinturino micrometrico completano la dotazione di un eccellente casco sportivo. 50.6 SPORT FULL FACE HELMETS 8 Omaggio a Cal Crutchlow