NEEDED THAT LIKE A HOLE IN THE HEAD
October 2005
Check out what I've been up to between races.

Hey Guys, it's been an interesting month since we last touched base. So I guess I'll start at the top!

We set off to Imola on the Monday before the race; it's about 600 km's. So about 7 hrs should cover it, accept if we took any detours which is always on the cards. So not to far from the track we called into a little town on the outskirts of Parma which is obviously famous for their Parma ham and of course Parmesan cheese. So we just had to call in and sample some, and just by chance it was dinner time. How fortunate! By the time we munched down some grub and got back on the road, we didn't arrive at the track until about midnight. It's not like we had too much to do the next day anyway.

Few days later on Thursday night SBK had organized a little athletics comp. between Riders, Teams, Pirelli, and Press etc. It was all pretty relaxed at first but by the time the first gun went off for the 100 meters heat everyone began to take a new look of seriousness. I'd have to say the funniest moment of the night was when the first runner (Giorgio) of the Pirelli relay team completely took out the second runner by completely steam rolling him and not giving up the batten! And relieving him from most of the skin on his arms. The second funniest thing was the pissed off look on Vermeulen's face when we came second in the overall standings of the night. He even called in the judges to make sure! I think Gee Bee has photo graphic evidence as well.

The next day we were out on track and I got my first taste of Imola on the Superbike. Definitely a handful. By race day I was really starting to find some speed and getting comfortable on the bike. Unfortunately one lap into the first race my clutch began to slip and my race was done, so I thought if I hit the tank really hard it might help. It didn't, so I was forced to return to the pits. Shit..!

The second leg was rained out and it was time to pack our bags and head over to Magny Cours for the next race.

Half way to Mangy Cours, we were just passing Torino and it was coming up on dinner time again so we decided to take a little detour and discovered this town called Asti. So we rolled in the bus as far as we could go, parked up and headed in the rest of the way on foot looking for a restaurant. The food was perfect and we also realized that this area is famous for their desert wines. Which just so happens to be Isabelle's favourite! Bit strange it was her idea to take this exit, hey. So after a small sampling I managed to escape with only one box on my shoulder and retreat back to the bus and get back on the road. The next day we rolled in to Magny Cours set up and broke out the cleaning equipment.

Friday Morning first free practice was bloody freezing, it was barely 10°C and we weren't even the first ones on the track. The last time I was this cold on a motor cycle was with Jim Moodie on MX bikes up at the Windmills in the snow in Scotland back in 1998. Brrrrr!  The Pirellis didn't seem to mind the cold so it was all good, but I did exchanged my fan in the box for a heater, which was perfect for the hands and toes. Oh and Isabelle!

By the time Sunday morning warm had rolled by we'd finalized which bike I was going to ride and make any last minute changes.  I'd qualified 4th and feeling pretty happy with the package we had. Race one was probably the best ride Ive had all year, I had a huge ding dong battle with Toseland the whole race but on the final lap I made a small mistake and I was delegated back to 4th mmmm! The second race I didn't even make it past turn one! I was torpedoed by a rouge Yamaha, and on his way past I got sucked into his rear wheel. The next thing I knew I was in the gravel laying on my back!

Both my fore fingers hurt so much I thought they'd gone missing but after a quick check I realized they were still there, the next most painful thing was the family jewels. Wholly shit, I've never been smashed in the balls so hard in all my life; it literally took my breath away. I then tried to exit the scene but I was told to lie still as they tried to remove my helmet, and were desperate to inspect the back of my head. I then realized that whole area was a tad numb. I then agreed to lay still and cover the area with my hand; I didn't want anything to fall out! J

 It turned out that I had copped a footpeg in the back of my helmet and it also made it though into my head. It basically tried to scalp me! Pretty lucky in the end, few internal stiches and half a doz outside. Oh yer, a cracked rib and a broken foot...

I needed that like a hole in the head..!

 So this was the way my season was to end. It's been a battle all the way, but things are really starting to make sense and I'm starting to gel with the bike. From here it's time to head back to Zurich, lick my wounds and get ready for the test in Valencia mid November. I'll be back again on the Winston Superbike in 2006, but I'm not quite sure about my team mate yet! Maybe it's my sparing partner from Magny Cours!!!! Who knows!  C ya.


 

   
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