Source: Supplied.

LCR Honda Castrol’s Cal Crutchlow pushed through severe pain at Sunday’s grand prix in France after spending the night in hospital due to a heavy fall sustained during Saturday’s Q1 session.

Crutchlow received a medical clearance on Sunday morning, allowing him to contest the 25-lap race that ultimately saw him salvage eighth in what was an extremely challenging ordeal for the British ace.

The number 35 was evidently disappointed in how the weekend panned out, although he’s satisfied to get a result on the board for the team after failing to do so at the previous two rounds.

“I was actually a bit disappointed with the race because I knew all weekend I had the pace, but I finished where I finished because of the consequences of what happened yesterday,” Crutchlow explained. “The team did a great job, they put a bike on the grid for me that was capable of challenging at the front of the race, but I just wasn’t able to today.

“I wasn’t willing to push in the first laps, it was as simple as that. Over the first 10 or 15 laps I didn’t want to make any mistakes, I just needed to stay on the bike otherwise I could have done myself some serious injury.

“After that, I was able to push a little bit and pick some riders off, but I have to give credit to the team. It’s the first race we’ve finished for a while, it’s not a great result, but I’m happy to have finished and done a good enough job.”

Crutchlow sits eighth in the championship standings as the series heads to Mugello in Italy on 3 June for the sixth round of the series.