Grand Prix drivers, as we know, are tough. As long as the fracture does not render them inoperable or cause them to lose consciousness, they get up and return to battle. But they are also resistant. Because there are aftermaths of accidents that condemn you to permanent suffering. This is the case of Cal Crutchlow who has had to live with a reconstructed ankle since his terrible fall from Phillip Island in 2018. The building is held together with plates but these foreign bodies have difficulty coexisting with their organic surroundings. And that's really starting to pose a problem...
Reason would dictate that he stop the expenses to give himself time to recover properly. But Cal Crutchlow is a pilot whose time is precisely the enemy. Faced with the clock, he is in a constant struggle in his profession and the moments that pass are corrosive enemies. For his ankle, he will have to go through another delicate operation. Which will require a long convalescence. And this is unthinkable for the Englishman.
Because the LCR pilot does not want to leave alone Marc Márquez develop the new Honda. He was at Valencia tests, he will be at the Jerez tests next week. Then it will be Sepang in February. Between the two periods, there is already no more space for surgery… So we will have to make do!
And yet the teammate of a Nakagami who, for his part, ended his season prematurely to repair his shoulder, says: “ I feel I have to drive and have decided not to remove the plates. I no longer had pain in Valencia, but two days before, it was terrible. Maybe next week will be fine, or it will be worse. When I wear my boot all day I have no feeling in the forefoot. When the foot swells, the boot hits the nerve. Even if I just touch the nerve that lies on top of the plate, it hurts. I also don't know if it could get worse if they removed the metal. It could be dangerous if they touch the nerve »Comments Crutchlow.
And for the operation which will inevitably have to be carried out? “ It will be when I get to the point where I can no longer stand the pain or when it really bothers me, I will have it removed », replies the Briton. “ At present, this does not seem feasible because we cannot guarantee that the bone will be consolidated when I have to get back on the bike. I don't want to spend a winter recovering », added the 34-year-old father. “ I think it's best to remove the plaques, but the window of opportunity is too short. »
