BLOGS - - STEVE RAMON BLOG

Team Suzuki Press Office - August 5.

It is a few days after my home grand prix at Lommel and to be honest it is a bit difficult to get around! I had a big crash in the second race and apart from losing second position, which was painful enough, I now have a sore muscle in my left leg and my elbow also bothers me.

I tried to go cycling for a bit the other day but it wasn't easy and for sure I will not be doing any riding before we go to Loket this weekend for round twelve. I still have two or three days before the GP so I'm sure they'll be an improvement. I haven't seen the crash on TV and I'm not even sure if they have it recorded. I have seen images of me getting back on the bike. To be honest I don't think I would want to watch any replay. I remember it being a heavy one with a hard impact once the bike threw me over the bars. I just lost my balance for a moment in a rut approaching a jump and it put me off course and off the track. At that speed, once I had passed the fence, it was always going to hurt.

I have not had the best of luck this year and will probably look back at 2010 with a bit of frustration just for all the small injuries. Apart from the complaints, physically I feel fine and not too tired after Lommel, which is normally one of the harder GPs. Last year the Limburg round was my first after a few months out with a fractured neck and it was tougher then but this time my body is OK.

So, I am fifth in the standings and I know I can do better than that. Everyone has little problems through a season, whether physical or technically but I feel like I have had my share! The annoying thing is that you can feel good mentally or with the bike but then you have to change your training or not do any at all because you need to recover from silly things. It ruins your preparation. I had the crash in Portugal and then another where I hurt my arm. Recently I raced in the German championship, at Tensfeld, and that was the first time I was almost 100%; and now I have fallen and picked up something else!

So I have been on the ground this season and not all of it is bad luck of course. I have made mistakes and paid for them; in fact I consider myself lucky because the Lommel accident could have been worse.

Lommel came after a summer break and I kept busy with races in Belgium and Germany and did quite well. It is important for Teka to be in the German events and I really like doing the Belgian championship. It is special to me and I like to race for my fans there. For sure the calendar can be busy with races all the time and a break can be useful but then again we are only racing for a part of the year and it's the job!

2010 is my sixth year in MX1 and there are hardly any riders competing at the moment who have been in each MX1 championship since 2004. I am 30 years old and I don't think I was faster in '04 that I am now. Certainly I have more experience and I am more analytical and like to think I am better at making decisions during my races. I'm still quick and I can put a good race together and even set the first or second best times. Perhaps I take fewer risks, but when I am feeling confident and comfortable then I will go for it.

I have ridden for Suzuki for five years and have not dropped out of the top three in the championship in that time, well, except for the injury in 2009 where I missed half the season. I think the good results say a lot about the quality of the RM-Z450, so I cannot say if one year has been better than another. We have only made small changes and upgrades each year to the bike; the machine is that good that it has permitted me to remain at the top.

Away from the track we have had some free time but I have not done anything special; going to the cinema or bowling with friends is about as exciting as it gets! The season is passing quickly and I am looking at the championship and what I can do. I was well-prepared for Lommel and really thought I could take some points away from Philippaerts and Clement but it turned out that I lost some. We have four GPs left and it will be difficult to reach that second place because Clement has been riding very well and is consistent. I will try my best to reach the podiums and see where we end up!