August 3, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
I've finally gotten around to writing something for my diary…I've made myself a promise: I'm going to do this thing as often as I can, so please bear with me!

August 10, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
Before Brands Hatch, I knew that we had a test at Mugello scheduled for right after the races, but because my shoulder hurt me so much and left me feeling weak at Brands, there wasn't any point in me making the test.

August 17, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
I'm writing my diary today sitting by the pool after a hard morning in the gym…

August 27, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
Since I last wrote my diary, I've been a little busy. I went to watch football, which was great to see, but we also had a real lot of fun with the Italian TV show we had to do.

September 4, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
I arrived at Oschersleben quite early, I wanted to get a good place for my camper and to settle down and get used to the place.

September 12, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
After Oschersleben I took the motorhome straight down to Assen, and it rained all the way. I had a day off so I went to a fantastic restaurant in Amsterdam where you kick your shoes off and lie on a couch.

September 24, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
Since I last wrote to you I've been very busy. Maybe this explains why I didn't do my diary last week! I had a few days at the Milan Salon, the big motorcycle and pushbike show.

October 4, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
Well, I've been busy again this week since Imola. After I showed the Barcelona [soccer] shirt on the podium, it attracted a lot of interest.

October 17, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"...I'm taking my mechanics to the Canary Islands for five days. It's my way of thanking them for the hard work that they've done this year..."

November 2, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"… then it got worse and I realised what it was. Hey, this was strange for me. When it stopped, my bed was 10cms from the wall. I've never had this experience before…"

November 12, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I went to dinner with Juan and he had brought some guests - the Spanish national ladies synchronised swimming team…"

November 20, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I'll be wearing my Barca shirt and a Liverpool scarf over it to keep me warm. I just hope I'm ok and the Liverpool fans treat me well…I don't want to wake up dead tomorrow!…"

November 28, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Today I went on a snow bike, a snowmobile. It was great, so easy to do, so much fun. The handlebars are heated and your feet keep warm in two spaces so you don't get cold at all…"

December 4, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I went cross-country skiing today as part of the training. I tried it the very first time last year and I couldn't move the next day…"

December 11, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…After 2 races, it was down to me and Troy, imagine this! After two days, it all comes down to two friends, two Ducati riders, in opposite teams…"

December 18, 2001

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…There were many people there who have worked for Ducati for longer than I’ve been living. Incredible. It was humbling…"

January 3, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"… But all I need for myself is the Number 1 plate on my bike. I’ve asked Santa Claus for it and on next Saturday it’s the big Spanish festival, the Three Kings, so I’ll be asking them for the same thing…"

January 8, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…if I had to get a proper job what could I do? Playboy, gigolo, or maybe a stripper, I think I could do any of these jobs…"

January 16, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…the best team in Spain, my team, Barcelona, were playing Seville and we won 3-1…"

January 23, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Then we all fly to Kyalami for a tyre test with Michelin, so these three days will be very hard and after this we go to Phillip Island…"

February 6, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…But there was a lot of wind, I actually got blown off the bike by the wind, can you believe this thing? The wind knocked me off my bike!…"

February 12, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I was asking one of the guys what his job was like on the production line so he offered to show me. The next thing I know, I’ve got screw sealant all over my hands…"

February 20, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I go to Valencia for our last test on Friday. I’m very much looking forward to this because I want to ride my bike again and again so that I can get better and better…"

February 27, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Also at the weekend I’m working with my father. He wants to dig most of the grass up from our back yard and then we are going to lay slabs across this area…I have to be his labourer…"

March 5, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"… It’s finally here, the first race is nearly ready to start. It’s only the first race and it’s a long Championship, but I am getting everything ready for Sunday…"

March 13, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Everybody makes a few mistakes over the course of a season and I know exactly what I did wrong and what I need to do to change this so I don’t make the mistake again…"

March 20, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Yesterday I played golf, I couldn’t find anyone to play with so I set off on my own, but halfway around I met Nori Haga so we joined up…"

March 25, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Overall I’d say that I’m happy with what I did. I think it’s important to build as many points as I can at each round and not make mistakes…"

April 10, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I was thinking about getting past him, but I couldn’t go through as he still had some life in his tyres. After the race he said I was like a bulldog that wouldn’t let go!…"

April 23, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I still have 9 other fingers that are full length and it’s saved me losing a bit of weight…"

May 2, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I spend a few hours in the gym doing as much weight work as I can, but as the heart rate increases, the throbbing in my fingers increases as well…"

May 24, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…After driving through the night we arrived at Silverstone but the gates were locked, so ok, no problem, we’ll just sleep here. And then just 3 hours later the road diggers started right outside my bedroom window…"

May 29, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…The English fans are very passionate and they are proper fans, they know a lot about racing and I had fun talking to them…"

June 5, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…The place is kind of remote, but that is ok as it means you must focus on the one thing: to race…"

July 23, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…And then after Laguna we were in Misano for the debut of the incredible new 999...I even bought a 998 this year with my own money, and now I want a 999…"

July 31, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I had two great rides with Haga and Ben but in each race I was tiring after maybe 15 laps and I didn’t have the strength to fight back like I would normally…"

August 7, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…On the way back we were on tarmac roads and there was very little grip so we had fun sliding the bikes in the turns…"

August 13, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…We know when we come back from this break everyone will be fit, strong and working hard for the last rounds…"

August 22, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I normally wakeboard in the sea and the lake is very different, smoother and calmer, but the jumps are bigger. But for me again, it's very good training…"

August 27, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I’m looking forward very much to the next series of races as they were good for me last year and as I feel very strong this year…"

September 5, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I was pushing, pushing, pushing, I was really trying as hard as I could, maybe taking little risks here and there and you saw what I did…"

September 18, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I had two poor races. Why is this eh? I’d like to have two good races and maybe an ok Superpole, not the other way round…"

September 26, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I want to do very well for myself and for the team and for Ducati this weekend…"

October 3 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I looked at Imola on video and I think they did the best Superbike race ever. I think the last lap was just very close to unbelievable, if I hadn’t seen this race with my eyes, then I’d not believe it…"

October 28, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…So when I say I am happy to be riding again with Ducati Corse, you better believe it! Who else can give me as much as these people? The new bike will be amazing…"

November 8, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…It’s the first test for me on the new bike and I’m happy. Even small things like the position of the handlebars need to be made to fit me normally, but it’s very good already. The 999 already seems more comfortable for me to ride and it seems to suit my riding style…"

November 14, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I am writing this at the exhibition in England. Today Neil Hodgson and I unveiled the 999R. Wow. What can I say, huh? When you see it in the flesh you have to say, 'Hey, this is a very special bike'…"

November 28, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…So I was there to show the American journalists around the track. I had fun on the bus, I was the tour guide with the microphone explaining the way around the circuit. I should have been wearing a uniform with the peaked cap as well maybe…"

December 5, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…On Friday I go to Valencia to test my 999 again and if I say I can't wait, maybe I'm not saying this strongly enough. I'm just desperate to ride this bike again…"

December 10, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…The bike feels completely different to anything I've ridden before, it feels very aggressive and already has a good feeling from the front end. I often ride very aggressively so maybe this will suit my style of riding…"

December 19, 2002

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…On Saturday I was at the Motor Show signing many autographs, many people came to see us… we gave away everything that we had on the stand: all the shirts, all the posters, everything that wasn't fixed to the stand just went…"

January 7, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I delivered all the presents on my 996 road bike. It was like the way Father Christmas delivers the presents: I was dressed in red, like him, but maybe I was travelling faster than him…"

January 22, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…The new bike is good; on Friday I did something like 100 laps from 10 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon – we just didn't stop…"

January 29, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…my 996 doesn't get used that often, but as I need to ride, well, I figure that riding my supermotard bike hard is very good training for me…"

February 6, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…But the main reason I'm in Italy was to go to a team dinner at Ruvido. It seemed like everyone from Ducati Corse was there, all the Superbike guys and the MotoGP team as well…"

February 13, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…There is an English saying, "The calm before the storm" and I use this because next week I go to Italy for the team photo shoots, then the team launch, then the big official SBK tests, and then we go racing…"

February 21, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…So now I am in Valencia and it's perfect. We tested today and I was doing 1'35s all day long, no problem…The bike feels truly fantastic…"

February 26, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…It's a long season coming – this is just the first of many steps but I'm looking forward to taking them all with this team and my new bike. Wish me good fortune huh?…"

March 5, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…The bike was perfect all the time and the tyres were as good as the bike. It was a superb combination…"

March 13, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…On Saturday I fly to San Antonio, Texas, to open a Ducati store. I’m looking forward to this trip very much, as after the store opening I go maybe to Las Vegas or Los Angeles for a few days and hopefully I’ll catch up with Ben…"

March 20, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I was introduced to them and we were laughing and joking and the very next thing I knew, I was in handcuffs…"

March 26, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…But from Friday, things will be different. It will be nice weather, so I hope we get nice tyres, a nice bike and a nice rider with good rhythm…"

April 2, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Once I got into second place I started lapping very quickly and I was able to catch Neil, but then he smoked me on the start and finish straight and after that he changed his riding style which stopped my rhythm…"

April 9, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…It seems like it’s been so long I haven’t ridden my bike, I think back to Australia and it seems like a very long time ago. And it’s still two more weeks before Sugo…"

April 30, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Last year I left there with only three points and I hurt my hand pretty badly, and this year I came away with twenty-six points, so I have made some big improvement there…"

May 16, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
“…Yesterday morning, like every year, I went to the “Istituto Europeo dei Tumori,” a famous hospital in Milan for children suffering with cancer. We went to meet these children and bring them some caps and our support to cheer them up and make their life a little better for a day…”

May 29, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I felt like a doll thrown up in the air and I was totally helpless. My front wheel and brake locked up, my handlebars bent and went right into my stomach, and I couldn’t breathe any more…"

June 27, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…nothing much changed for me after this double win, I feel exactly like I felt after Silverstone. Sunday night I stayed in the paddock at Misano to celebrate with my mechanics…"

September 5, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Last Sunday I took my Ducati 999R out to get used to narrow handlebars again after being on the Supermotard bike for so long... After 25kms, however, I thought that I’d better take it back to the house and park it up before my father saw me and I’d be in big trouble!…"

September 17, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…On Tuesday I took my motorhome and left to Italy, parked it in Bologna and caught a train to the Milan show: Ducati is presenting its new model range there and I’ll be there to meet the fans for three days…"

September 23, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I had two days of breathtaking wakeboarding…Right now I’m leaving for the Imola circuit. I’m going to park up in the paddock and check things out…"

October 2, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…These results were not achieved just by me but by the whole team: Luca, Roberto, Juan, Pongo, Fabrizio, Beppe…every one of them. I would really like to thank them because they’re doing their very best for me. Thanks guys!…"

October 22, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…I’m really very happy, I think I finished the championship in the best possible way, by putting on the usual good show for our fans and by obtaining a great result in the process…"

December 3, 2003

RUBEN’S REPORT
"…Riding a Desmosedici will no doubt be a very interesting and exciting experience, but I don’t want to get overexcited before even starting. I know there’s going to be a lot of work to do and I want to keep my feet on the ground…"