Abe: I've got to sort out my riding style.

Norick Abe made an amazing start in yesterday's Czech Grand Prix to leap from eleventh to third by the first turn. He looked set to score a podium finish, running in third for the majority if the race.

But the Japanese would lose two places in the final few laps to eventual second placed man Alex Criville and Loris Capirossi - leaving him fourth.

"It wasn't such a bad race at the beginning. I made an exceptional start that surprised even me, which really made up for not such a good qualifying position," began Abe, whose distinctive long hair had been clipped during the summer break. "I took a gamble with a very soft rear tyre and I still think it worked well for me even considering I lost those two places in the last few laps. Sure the tyre was spinning up, but I don't think it was much more than anyone else.

"I think my problem today, like in Germany, was in my riding style," Abe admitted. "If someone is in front of me, if I have a target then it's no problem to do a fast lap, even faster than them, but for some reason when I get out on my own I struggle. It's something I have to fix, it's something only I can fix."