Lorenzo’s Blog Translated – 28th July 2010

This is a translation of Jorge’s latest blog published on the 28th July 2010.  You can view the original in Spanish HERE

What a week to remember!
Hello Everyone! What weekend… It has been non-stop since we arrived last Monday and I wrote this column… Events in Los Angeles, Carmel, Monterey, Laguna Seca … From meeting Jay Leno to having a barbecue dinner at Rainey’s house or enjoying Madame Tussaud on Hollywood Boulevard, where we took the opportunity to take pictures with movie stars … made of wax.
I won the Grand Prix and at first they put the Italian national anthem on…

The Grand Prix
Laguna Seca is a track I love and this time I could taste it one hundred percent.
In 2008, it was a shameful crash on the first lap and last year, I was in pain after a crash during practice.
On Sunday, everything went well, although it was not so easy in the beginning.
The start was quite good in the first few meters, but I tried to close the gap in the corner to maintain the position and found that several riders overtook me.
I regained a position ahead of Ben Spies a few corners later and then we were left with Pedrosa, Stoner and me.
The pace was very strong and as a result, the errors my rivals made allowed me to get ahead halfway through the race.
It was a shame because there was a good battle between the 3 riders.

Punta Cana
This victory allows me to go to on holiday all relaxed.
Now I am 72 points ahead, I promise you I will “disconnect” with my friends in Punta Cana.
We deserve it: those 3 months have been tough, the racing calendar has barely allowed us to have a quiet week to train at home.
Fortunately, my team and I have been able to live those months with a smile on our faces.

The Astronaut is back
The celebration was entertaining. I left the bike in the Corkscrew and had planned to go in the ambulance to take off my leathers and dressed up as an astronaut. We had calculated it would take 3 minutes. I think we made it! Hahaha! I was dying of laughter, especially when I started to see through the tinted window at the back of the vehicle and they were at least 20 cameras.
Once I put on my helmet, I closed the lid, grabbed the flag … I went to the moon.

I loved re-living the experience of Portugal, where the astronaut was born.
I don’t think there’s a better place in MotoGP to stage a moon landing.

Next came the moment of the anthem, but it is best not to remember! Casey joked after the race and told me that in Australia, a few years ago, they had a history lesson as they played the Republic’s anthem at the Davis Cup. (Note from editor: In 2003, the wrong Spanish anthem was played at the Davis Cup. The version played was the pre-civil war republican anthem, it made many Spanish fans very angry!)
Anyway, it’s not the first or the last for this sort of error. They did eventually put the Spanish anthem on.

2 Parts
It has also been a fantastic reception from the American public who love the show. The American rider Colin Edwards and I took a few guns to launch shirts and had a great time.

Another thing that struck me was the number of Spanish fans who came to Laguna Seca.
It is a well-liked circuit and it is a trip that you can use to go on holiday in California.

See you at Brno, now it is time to get our strength back.