Jack Miller and Hector Barbera collided in spectacular fashion on the first of 26 laps at the Assen TT on Saturday when the young Aussie braked too late at the final chicane.
Both riders tumbled, Barbera getting his leg caught in Miller’s rear wheel and the young Aussie catapulting several times over his LCR Honda.
An angry Barbera made no bones about his thoughts on Miller’s riding style: “I’m angry, because it’s sickening when things like this happen. I was looking forward to this race, in Barcelona was the same and I couldn’t show my performance, and here it happened again…
“The race was finished for me before I complete the first lap, Miller missed the brakes going in to the last chicane and he hit me. I don’t really know was he was thinking about, because it was impossible for him to make the turn. I was lucky to walk away unhurt because it was a bad crash; my right leg was caught with the rear wheel of his bike.
“I know Miller is a rookie, he has no experience with these bikes, but you have to be clever, because the race was 26 laps, and you can’t win in the first one. This is racing and now we have to think in Germany.”
Miller said: “I got a really good start and had a small touch with Eugene Laverty off the line, but after that I recovered. Coming into the last corner I tried to pass Bautista but my rear tyre overtook my front tyre and I got a little nudge from someone. It was unfortunate because I felt quite good here all weekend and my pace wasn’t so bad, so to end it like this was a shame.”
Here’s how it unfolded.
and in spectacular Miller fashion…
Top 20 Rider Standings | Rd 8 Assen DutchGP: Sat, June 27 2015
| Pos. | Rider | Nation | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROSSI Valentino | ITA | 163 |
| 2 | LORENZO Jorge | SPA | 153 |
| 3 | IANNONE Andrea | ITA | 107 |
| 4 | MARQUEZ Marc | SPA | 89 |
| 5 | DOVIZIOSO Andrea | ITA | 87 |
| 6 | SMITH Bradley | GBR | 77 |
| 7 | CRUTCHLOW Cal | GBR | 57 |
| 8 | ESPARGARO Pol | SPA | 56 |
| 9 | VINALES Maverick | SPA | 52 |
| 10 | PEDROSA Dani | SPA | 47 |
| 11 | PETRUCCI Danilo | ITA | 44 |
| 12 | ESPARGARO Aleix | SPA | 38 |
| 13 | REDDING Scott | GBR | 30 |
| 14 | HERNANDEZ Yonny | COL | 28 |
| 15 | BARBERA Hector | SPA | 16 |
| 16 | BAZ Loris | FRA | 14 |
| 17 | BAUTISTA Alvaro | SPA | 11 |
| 18 | MILLER Jack | AUS | 11 |
| 19 | BRADL Stefan | GER | 9 |
| 20 | PIRRO Michele | ITA |