We are all determined to take out all the positives from both races and especially the first. I made a great start from the front row of the grid and the led into the first turn. For the opening four laps I thought somebody was right behind me and just got my head down and pushed as hard as I could. After four laps I had a quick glimpse of my pit board and thought it said I had a 1.7 second lead but I was not entirely convinced.
The next time through the start and finish I had a really long look at the board which told me I had a two second advantage. I realised the chance of my first grand prix victory was on. The gap got bigger and bigger each lap and at one stage I was 3.7 seconds in front. I was in a great rhythm and controlling the race from the front and then came the rain.
Despite the bitter disappointment I proved to myself that I can ride a grand prix race from the front. A rain shower at Le Mans earlier in the year gave me a chance to finish on the podium and so I have to accept circumstances can work both ways. After the crashes and gremlins in Barcelona and Donington the Assen weekend has got us right back on track.
I've scored world championship points in the last five races and the aim is to get myself really fit for the second half of the season. I had a one and a half hour meeting with the team on Wednesday just discussing our problems at
Donington. Since Mugello we've had set-up problems and everybody worked so hard in Assen to get it sorted and it certainly paid off.
We have one more grand prix before the five week summer break and it's the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring a week on Sunday. I like the circuit and it's really suited to 125cc machines with no
Formula One sections. A real bike rider's circuit with plenty of twists and turns plus a few technical parts. Last year despite still recovering from injury, I qualified on the front row in fourth place and was really chuffed to finish eighth in the race.
