Misano is home. I always arrive here with a different energy — the crowd, the atmosphere, the warmth of the fans. This time even more so, because I was coming off a weekend in Aragon that had given a lot of positive answers, my body was improving, and the bike was going well.

Friday, good feeling, through to Q2. Saturday, pole position — again — and in the Sprint Marc got me at Turn 1 and I couldn’t answer. Second place. I was satisfied, I had given everything I had, and I told myself: tomorrow I’ll try again.

Sunday.

Good start. I was in the lead, the rhythm was there, my goal was to get to T3 in front and up to that point everything was going smoothly. Then between Turn 12 and 13, on the first lap, I got a small kick before the braking point. I couldn’t close the line perfectly, and when I tried to bring the bike in, the front folded. On the ground.

I’m not looking for excuses. When you push, mistakes can happen. Obviously it would be better not to make them, but it’s done now and I can’t turn back time.

I’m sorry — not only because we were at Misano, I would have been sorry anywhere. I would have liked to continue this run of good races after the injury, but it wasn’t to be.

But I also look at the positives: the speed was there, qualifying was good, the Sprint was good. That counts. And if it were easy, everyone would do it — if I didn’t want this kind of pressure, I would have gone to work in my dad’s garage. Instead I’m trying to be a rider, and dealing with these things is part of it.

Nothing is lost. The standings hurt, but it’s not over.

Fortunately Austria is just around the corner. We’ll be back on the bike soon, and that will definitely help.