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Tech3 Duo Happy With Final Day Results

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The Monster Yamaha Tech3 duo of Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow have declared themselves happy with the outcome of the final day of the 2nd test in Malaysia. Edwards spent the final day in the same fashion he had spent the other 2, working on geometry settings and finalising settings in order to gain maximum grip from the rear of this years M1. The experienced rider finished the day in 6th on the timesheet, just behind factory rider, Jorge Lorenzo.

“This test has been awesome for us and I’ve had a lot of fun, even though the conditions have been really extreme with the heat.” said Edwards. “I’ve got a lot of experience and I’ve been riding motorcycles forever, but even I’m still learning a lot and I’ve really enjoyed coming here and changing the bike to see what does and doesn’t work. I’ve figured out a lot of things with the new bike and the Bridgestone tyres and I’ve also learned that for an old guy, I’m not finished yet.

He continued “We improved front feeling compared to the last test and we can finish the corner a lot better. I’m really happy with the progress with rear traction too. Yamaha has done a great job and we leave Malaysia tired but with a lot of confidence. I’m now looking forward to getting Qatar and starting the racing.”

Cal Crutchlow, the rookie Brit for this year, had finally overcome the trials and tribulations that plagued him before the test had begun. A bout of food poisoning picked up before arriving in Sepang, followed by 2 crashes on the first day didn’t help, but the ex-WSBK rider soon found his way, getting used to the M1 and adapting his riding style. He finished Day 3 in 14th place.

“It has certainly been an eventful week and the good thing is that it ended in positive fashion.” said Cal “The food poisoning I picked up on the way to Sepang didn’t help my preparations and I’ve felt weak all through the test as a result.”

“Two crashes on the first day didn’t help my confidence and day two was a struggle to be honest. We made a lot of changes to the bike without helping me feel more comfortable. My team have been fantastic though and given me great support and the last day was much better.”

He continued “For the first time I was able to do a decent lap time, but the important thing is I was able to be more consistent and feel more confident with the bike. We made improvements to the front and rear of the bike and I’m pretty happy with a low 2.02. The front felt more stable and while I’d like a bit more rear grip, we’ve made progress in that area as well. Qatar will be another big learning curve for me because I know the track, but I haven’t ridden a MotoGP bike there and I’ve never raced under the floodlights. I’m confident with the set-up changes we made here that I’ll be competitive in Qatar too.”

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