Translation – Lorenzo “Trying to be a robot”

Following the interest I received from last week’s translation, I have decided to make this a regular feature.

From now on, I will be publishing the best bits from Jorge Lorenzo’s blog. This one was published on the 29th of June (after Assen).

You can read the original blog HERE

Trying to be a robot

One more Tourist
Hello from Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, a city that I have finally managed to visit before the GP.
Monday and Tuesday, I dedicated my time to visiting Amsterdam.
I stayed in the hotel at night time to rest but during the day, I hanged out in the city, followed by our photographer from the Getty agency.
I have recently signed a contract with Getty and it is useful for getting photos that can be used for future interviews…

…I must take the time to enjoy life outside racing and the trip helped me disconnect between Silverstone and Assen.

At the circuit
Relaxation finished when we arrived at the circuit on Wednesday.
It always makes you feel tense as it is a very tight schedule and you become more and more nervous.
Every time I arrive in Assen, I remember my beginnings because it is where I got my second world victory and where I was able to shine a little for the first time in an international race.
It was in 2001, in the European championship and I finished fifth. Since that day, Assen has always enchanted me.

By the grass
The 2004 victory in the 125cc class was after a good fight with a group of riders now in MotoGP. Out of the 5 riders who were at the front, only one, Locatelli, is not in MotoGP today.
Barberá, Dovizioso and Stoner made it.
Pedrosa used to be in the 250cc.
That day, I led the race almost all the way but I took the last corner too fast and ended up on the grass.
The bikes wobbled several times and I managed to save it from crashing but 3 or 4 riders passed ahead of me.
For me, the race was already lost but in a few laps, I overtook Stoner and Dovizioso then Locatelli. I don’t know if it exactly happened like that but it is as I remember it.
When all the races ended, I went back on track with my dad on a scooter and we saw the clear mark my tyres had left on the grass. My father took a photo of the mark.

In 250cc
In 250cc, Many people remember I won 2 races in the years of my two titles (2006 – 2007) but I personally remember more from the 2005 race.
I had broken my collarbone in Montmeló 10 days before and although it seemed impossible that I would recover in such a short time, I miraculously did.
I took pole but I was clever in the race: I led almost the whole race. However, I entered the chicane on the penultimate lap, Porto and Pedrosa overtook me.
I gave a great fight with a broken collarbone but they stole the victory from me.

Saturday
The other day in Assen, there were moments when the race looked like 2005 and I was mainly worried I couldn’t keep the pace of 34 that we had in practice sessions.
I thought about another kind of race, like Mugello or Jerez, where I was slower in the race. I knew that while nobody overtook me, I still had to try to be faster than the others.
And this is how the laps went by.
Seeing on the pitboard that I suddenly took three 10th, I said to myself that it was the moment, now or never, and I pushed very hard.

“Lorenzo’s Land”
For the celebration, I got my `Lorenzo’s Land’ flag back.
It had been a while since I last used it.
I planted it and pretended I was a robot.
I try to be a robot and not have negative thoughts whilst on the bike and not commit errors but we are all human with feelings.

The signed football was to celebrate the hat trick: winning in 3 categories in Assen like the great ones.
I played “pass the ball” with some journalists in pit lane but people didn’t see that bit. I then threw the football into the grandstand…

Montmeló
With no time to rest, we will go away to Montmeló.
Like all Spanish races, it is a special one because there are more members of my `Fan Club’ than anywhere else.
I think they will all be meeting in Grandstand G and the more, the merrier!
If you would like more info, please contact info@lorenzofanclub.com.
As for me, I promise a show on track. If I win, I will do a celebration in front of that Grandstand. I have not yet thought about what I’d do but we will do something…