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A MotoGP rider sometimes gets on the wrong motorbike, one that doesn’t suit his style or match his talents.

But I’ve not seen a single MotoGP rider not try to get the most of that situation, even when there’s little hope of success. Cal Crutchlow fits this description, as you can see from the intensity in his eyes. He’s not out there riding around just to make it to the end of the session.

I wonder sometimes if riders in this situation don’t actually try even harder than they might if matched just right with a machine. I suspect at times they try to make up the difference, to make up for what’s missing in the crucial combination of rider+machine, out of their own effort.

Photograph: ©2014 by Scott Jones / PHOTO.GP – All Rights Reserved