I qualified on the front row for the race in second place despite crashing in both qualifying session in both wet and dry conditions. I made a great start and was 0.7 of a second in front by the time we reached the hairpin on the first lap. I knew I had to be careful especially on the right side of the tyre with so many left hand corners and went into the hairpin three miles per hour slower than I had in the morning warm-up. I did not even have my knee on the ground and kept the angle of lean down to a minimum but down I went. The only reason must have been the wind blowing off the Bass straight and the only consolation I had was that three other riders went down at the same place in the first couple of laps.
I managed to get back on the bike although the handlebars were bent inwards and it was more like riding a pushbike with bent handlebars. I kept going and was up into 17th place on the last lap when I hit a bump at the fast Hayshed corner and the handlebars hit the frame. I crashed at around 125mph and still have plenty of bruises to show for it. Phillip Island is such a fast circuit and
Valentino Rossi's crash on Saturday showed just have deceptively quick it is until you see a rider crash.
So a disastrous couple of races but I have still got two more before the end of the season to thank the team with a win. I have nothing to lose, starting at Sepang in Malaysia a week on Sunday because any chance I had of finishing third in the championship has disappeared.
It will be hot and humid there and certain to rain. Not that cold rain we had on Friday at Phillip Island but big thunder showers. I like the track and enjoyed riding there last year but just lacked the top speed which I've got this year.
I'm looking forward to the last two races but can't predict anything after those last two races but as always I will be out to win.
Bradley
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