Intermittent rain and a slippery track surface prevented Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow from starting preparations for this weekend's GP Aperol di San Marino e Riviera di Rimini today.

Dovizioso and Crutchlow didn't complete a timed lap in both practice sessions at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, renamed in 2012 in memory of the late Italian star.

A fierce wind blowing off the nearby Adriatic coast couldn' t properly dry out the slippery surface, with rain falling at regular intervals throughout the day.

Only nine riders posted times in this morning's session, while 11 took to the track this afternoon in tricky conditions and the best pace was almost 10 seconds off the lap record.

Conditions are expected to be significantly better for the remainder of the weekend, with Dovizioso and Crutchlow optimistic they can continue a fantastic 2012 World Championship for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team by challenging for the podium in Sunday's 28-lap race.

Andrea Dovizioso:

“Today was quite frustrating because the track conditions made it impossible to learn anything. It is never good to lose a whole day on track but on a slow track like this it can be worse because it can take a while to find your rhythm. I went out to try and gauge the conditions but the track was very slippery and it made no sense to push because you risk crashing, so I immediately came back to the pits. Hopefully the weather will be better for the rest of the weekend and we can put on a good show for the fans, who unfortunately didn't get to see much action today.”


Cal Crutchlow:

“Today turned out to be quite strange because in both sessions I just sat in the garage waiting for the track conditions to improve. It is disappointing for everybody concerned and I feel sorry for the fans here and the people watching on TV at home. When the track is damp like that it is very hard to learn anything, so I didn't even put my helmet on. It looks like the weath er will improve for the rest of the weekend and I am looking forward to getting down to business tomorrow morning. I gained a lot of confidence with my first podium in Brno recently and I can't wait to be back on my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1.”

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