MotoGP Le Mans: Ducati riders blame Michelin fronts for crashes

Iannone passed his team-mate for second on lap six at Le Mans but crashed on the next lap while pursuing eventual race winner Jorge Lorenzo.

Dovizioso lost the front and ended up in the gravel on lap 13 shortly after losing second to Valentino Rossi.

"I don't know what happened, it is completely strange," Iannone said.

"It's very difficult to explain what happened in my crash because from the beginning I had a very good feeling with the bike.

"Especially in the first three, four laps I pushed more with the braking and with the front tyres and I didn't have any problems.

"So it's very strange when I close the gap to Jorge and I think, 'OK, Andrea, it's not necessary you push a lot'.

"With this thinking, I crashed. It's very, very strange."

Dovizioso was followed into the gravel trap by Honda's Marc Marquez, who had an identical crash at the same time, which he also attributed to suddenly losing the front end.

The lack of front-end warning is something Dovizioso describes as a Michelin trait.

"I'm very disappointed about the crash, but anyway it was my mistake," he said.

"I just had two degrees more lean angle and it was enough to lose the front.

"The front tyre worked very well during the weekend and also in the race, but this is the characteristic of Michelin.

"Everybody crashed in the same way and you never feel you are over the limit, but if you push a little bit more it can happen and you lose the front.

"Me and Marc crashed in the same way, like all of the riders, but it's the same for everybody, this is just about everybody having to manage this characteristic.

"It's not a problem."

Both riders are under pressure as they seek to remain at Ducati for 2017, when Lorenzo joins from Yamaha.

Ducati general manager Luigi Dall'Igna admitted the double retirement was "tough to accept".