Columns 16/07/2008
Aiming for the MotoGP Winner
Colin
I’m enjoying being part of a satellite team and Herve Poncharal runs the tightest ship in the paddock. There is no pressure to test new parts and I can just focus on what we have at our disposal. The relationship with Michelin is as good as always and I feel I can go out and give my best every time.
That was certainly the case at Assen this year, where third place felt as good as a win! I thought I had a good start and was fifth or sixth when Valentino got tangled with Randy de Puniet and he crashed. I might have gone left but I knew Valentino was on the ground and I didn’t want to run over him or his bike and I just stopped.
The next thing I know is I’m dead last and then Alex de Angelis went down soon after and I lost a bit more ground. I just decided to get my head down and push. I thought I’d rather be in the gravel than riding round for eighth or ninth. I started picking guys off and before I knew it I was on the back of the group fighting for fourth. I just kept pushing myself to go faster and the next thing I’m fourth. I could see Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa in the distance and all I did was ride as hard as I could.
Colin and Herve
I thought if I kept applying pressure Nicky might make a mistake and if I hadn’t kept pushing as hard as I did then I might not have been close enough to pounce on him. I’d settled for fourth but as I came out of the chicane he was sat up, and I couldn’t believe it. I guess that’s ‘karma corner’ after 2006. That place owed me something after I crashed a couple of years ago with my first win in sight, and I was really happy with third just because of the way I achieved it. It’s hard to get on the podium at any time in MotoGP, so to do it from last place was a great feeling.
Unfortunately I was experiencing the less glamorous side of racing on Sunday, when we got stuck in Amsterdam. Basically for some reason our flight back to Texas was booked for Monday morning instead of Sunday and everything was overbooked, so myself, Alyssia and the two kids had to head back to the hotel. I was so exhausted from having two races in six days that I didn’t feel like doing much, so we just hung out at the airport hotel, played some games with the kids and caught up with some much needed rest.
Still, it was worth it when we got back to Texas. In the past I used to spend a lot of time between races on the road in Europe but now I try to get back whenever I can. It is important to have a solid base for Alyssia and the kids, and we love our home. Obviously I still have to spend a lot of time away but that makes every visit home even more special and I enjoy every minute. Gracie and Hayes are growing up so fast now. Gracie likes to think she is a princess and Hayes has already fallen in love with motorcycles! At two and a half he can already ride a bicycle with no stabilizers and he loves playing with his toy bikes or watching supercross on the TV.
I’m not ready to go home on a permanent basis yet though and I think my performances already this season have proved that I still have a lot to offer in MotoGP. My priority is to stay with Yamaha and my relationship with Hervé Poncharal and all the Tech 3 guys is fantastic – they’re like a second family already. It’s no secret that contract negotiations have started and at this stage of my career I have to consider every option, but hopefully something can be finalized soon.
In the meantime I plan to enjoy myself every time I go out on the track. My feeling with the YZR-M1 allows me to do that and there are some great circuits coming up. Hopefully the next time I talk to you I’ll be able to tell you what it is like to be a MotoGP winner!
Colin #5
01.06.2008, 22:24
Today
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EL OCTAVO ES NUESTROOOOOO, GRAZIE VALE!! 
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