Randy Mamola: Good old Cal finally breaks his duck

As we said a few days ago with Mick Doohan, the arrival of Michelin's tyres has introduced a dramatic component to the championship. We've seen it already many times in the dry, and now we are also witnessing it when the rain hits the track.

Two elements as crucial as the tyres and the unified electronic software have opened the door to something unprecedented in recent years: two riders from satellite teams winning races, and only just after we've passed the halfway point of the season.

I was very happy to see Cal Crutchlow become a MotoGP race winner. I know him well and how hard he works and prepares to race, something he loves.

He was a World Supersport champion (2009), he has been on the podium before, but nothing is comparable to the feeling of winning a grand prix.

But beside all his efforts and his quality, I'm especially happy because he's an authentic guy, probably one of the nicest in the paddock, and for sure one of the most honest.

While the majority of the riders competing with satellite teams complain about the lack of support from the manufacturer or substandard material, Crutchlow has no problem admitting that with the LCR Honda, Marc Marquez would be just as quick as he is with the Repsol-liveried bike.

Equally, he is happy conceding he would not be in a position to fight for the podium if he was riding the orange bike.

I'm happy that two guys as funny as he and Jack Miller have been capable of winning races this year, both benefiting from the track conditions.

Tyre gamble

At Brno, Crutchlow managed the hardest thing in the sport: make something very difficult look easy. It's obvious that the tyre choice he made gave him a boost, as it did for Valentino Rossi - who also chose the hard rear.

But Crutchlow looked very fluid and confident in very tricky conditions, much like Miller at Assen.

The decision to go with hard tyres front and rear without having tested them before the race goes against the principle of not racing with a tyre you haven't used before. But at the same time, that bravery highlights a personality without complexes.

Cal is one of those riders who leaves no-one indifferent. He has a strong character and he likes to say what he thinks - and that gives him plenty of fans, as well as numerous detractors.

Since he arrived in the championship, he has raced with three different bikes (Yamaha, Ducati and now Honda) and with all of them he has managed to finish on the podium at least once.

He's a competitive animal, both on a bike, a bicycle or playing football, a sport he had to give up on to become a professional racer.

We are talking about one of the most in-shape riders of the grid, someone who often trains with pro cyclist Mark Cavendish, one of his best friends.

Good old Cal had to wait for five years to take victory in the championship, and I'm sure that this result will help him consolidate himself even more, and possibly open a few doors in the future.