Globe Hopper: Mugello to Barcelona.

After a brief break caused by the first back-to-back races of the 2003 MotoGP season, Suzuki rider John Hopkins' girlfriend Desiree Crossman is back in touch with Crash.Net to offer her take on the Italian GP and the trip from Italy to Spain for round six...

"Well, it was another bad weekend for John and the team. One bad thing after another. One bad race after another....

"Sorry I didn't write after the race - it was a bad time and the team was getting ready to go, so I didn't have a line to send mail.

"Right now, we're in Barcelona. We drove here this morning, with John's manager, from Mugello. It's about an eleven-hour drive, which isn't too bad. John is really sore from the crash, but he insisted on driving.

"There's really nothing to be said [about the incident], except that John was hit from behind by Kenny, and it was very disappointing. By the way, I just want to say thanks to everyone for supporting John knowing the situation at hand. It may sound like I want sympathy, but I don't. I just want fans who are big enough to realise the problems that are occurring, and give John the support he needs. I'm not going to say much, but I am going to say that he's had to work his ass off on bikes that were always inferior. Somehow he seems to overcome it, some people can't.

"Anyway, here we are in Barcelona. On our drive, we saw some strange people on the road. At a gas station in France, we saw this weirdo with a bike with handlebars three feet high. John called him 'Ape Hanger', 'cause he looked like he was an ape holding on to the handlebars, full straddle - I'm not kidding, it was ridiculous. Then we saw another guy with a bright bronze car, a mullet and a flamed shirt, so we called him 'Flamer'!!! I know it sounds bad, but it fits the description.

"Alright, so there's nothing much to be said at the moment, except that, yes, John is a little pissed off after a crash that wasn't his fault. But gotta move on, you know? So, when the week gets going, I'll speak more. I'm really tired at the moment, so I'm sorry if it's a little funny reading this."

Des