I'm back home nursing a good few bruises and feeling a bit sore after the crash in Estoril but nothing really big to show after a such a big highside in the race on Sunday.

What is more difficult to deal with is the fact I've only scored 16 world championship points this season but already we are thinking positively and that grand prix in China in just under three weeks time.

It was a big crash and I just never seemed to stop rolling over and over through the gravel and I only stopped right up against the safety air fence on the side of the track. I've seen some pictures taken just before the crash and the bike was really loaded up ready to throw me into the air which was not nice.

You get no warning when this is going to happen but I was having to ride very hard to stay with the leaders. The bike was not perfect and although it may have looked like I was comfortable I was pushing very hard to hang onto them.

I could not believe it when my pit board told me I'd completed just 12 laps. The race seemed to be going on for ever and ever and I was riding so hard corner to corner rather then letting it flow.

Nicolas Terol had just made his mistake letting me back into third place and I was worried that Simone Corsi and Joan Olive where going to get away at the front when it happened. I'd made a rocket start from the fourth row of the grid and was fourth at the end of the first lap. The encouraging thing was that we soon opened up a seven second advantage over fifth place and the riders behind.

I never felt that comfortable but I was determined to try and stop the two leaders break away. The problem is I'm still learning about the Aprilia and it gives you no warning when it wants to throw you off and I was on the limit.

However, even worse than crashing is crossing the line when you know you could have done better. I could have ridden into fourth place all day long but I'm not racing to even finish on the podium. I'm out there to win grand prix races and that's what I'm fighting for and that first victory will come.

Corsi rode well to win his second grand prix in succession. He waited at the back in fourth place and then looked very comfortable when he made his way to the front. At the moment he seems to have a really good feeling with the bike which he rides very differently to anybody else which makes him so difficult to follow, which I found out the hard way.

The whole weekend we were struggling to get the setting exactly right and although we made some big steps on Saturday morning I was still having problems with the rear end of the bike in the second qualifying session in the afternoon.

Now onto the haircut... We had such a tough day on Friday I felt a trim that evening would bring us a change of fortune. I'd not had my hair cut since before that first race in Qatar and the time was right. My mechanic convinced me he was a hairdresser and I let him do it. The problem was the number seven and number four settings he had for his razor where not working. All he had was a number one and you have all seen the result.

My Mum has not said anything yet and I think she is still biting her lip.

Bradley

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