In 2007 the bike and the team were all new and it took some time to get to know everybody and work well together. Last year I felt I was a little behind Nori and it was a bit of a frustrating year. Towards the end of the season it was my job to support him try and catch James (Toseland) instead of going for race wins. Also it was my job to help win the manufacturer’s title for Yamaha, and that’s what we did, so we did achieve something important. Now, one year on, things are different. The bike is very similar to last year’s bike, so I was able to get on with it straightaway and go fast. We were able to work with some of our settings from last year and that made things easier for us. I’ve got great support from the team and because we now know each other very well, the work goes faster and smoother. I think the 2008 season is going to be similar to 2007. There have been a few changes in personnel, but it’s going to be a very hard year for sure. Qatar was an indication of how this year is going to be and I think any one of six or seven riders are capable of running at the front. I feel that the days of one rider running away from the rest of the field are going to be less and less. This year, I feel fitter then I’ve been in any other season and I haven’t been getting physically tired in any of the races at all. Maybe part of that is because I am much more comfortable with the bike then I was last year, but these days I normally feel pretty relaxed on the bike. Of course, there are days when things don’t pan out, but that’s racing. I’m really enjoying my racing, apart from when there is a problem, and I look forward to competing with the other guys. I am happy that the other Troy is around and I know we both push each other a lot and that’s good for the championship. This year we need to really work on understanding how to improve the life of the tyre. There are so many factors these days and a lot of electronics and one small change can sometimes make a big difference. If we can get the tyres to work better and last longer, I can challenge for the title for sure. I see no reason why not. I’m going to take each race as it comes, gain as many points as possible and then see what happens at the end. See ya. Troy
		01st March 2008