It's only when I crossed the finishing line at Mugello that I realised just how much my sprained wrist and swollen hand actually hurt.

I put in so much effort to win the Italian Grand Prix and so much adrenalin was flowing I completely forgot about any pain until I passed the chequered flag.

Then it was a different story.

Although I only finished fifth, I felt it was our best race of the season and we learnt a lot which looks good for my two home' races coming up in Barcelona and then of course the British Grand Prix at Donington Park two weeks later.

I'd damaged the hand and broke the fifth metatarsal bone (left toe in layman's language) in my left foot after a big slap into the tarmac in qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

It was the same injury as football stars David Beckham and Wayne Rooney suffered, but I was confident I would be fit to race the next day because it was the same bone I'd broken in a practice at Assen in Holland last year.

The crash happened because the suspension setting was too soft and basically the spring was fully compressed and had nowhere else to go, just let go and threw me off.

It was my hand and fingers that took a really big hit and my plastic knuckle protector was worn right down after its contact with the tarmac.

Without such protection, it would have been a lot worse.

I woke up in the morning of the race and my hand and wrist were very swollen, stiff and painful.

I was worried because I had no power in the wrist, but the Clinica Mobile strapped it up so that I could hold the handlebars ok.

After our problems in qualifying, the team found a great suspension setting and I was confident starting from the second row of the grid.

For the first half of the race, I stayed out of trouble at the back of the pack and was protecting my wrist by braking slightly earlier for the corners.

With seven laps to go I decided to for it and with two laps left I took the lead.

Mugello is different from any other circuit with such a long drag to the line and, with no headwind, it was going to be almost impossible to slipstream and pass somebody.

I was confident with my riding and the state of the tyres that I could open a gap and perhaps one, or at the most two riders, would try outbrake me into the first turn.

All four came past me on the brakes and I dropped from first to fifth before you could blink.

I'm sure I did the right thing and it was only at Mugello that this would have happened.

I always want to do better, but I was happy to take the points and it was another good lesson for both me and the team.

By all accounts it was a fantastic race although I'd not watched the replay yet, but certainly the 96,000 Italians went mental when Simone Corsi won.

It's straight from Mugello to Barcelona for round seven this Sunday and, for me, it's more like a home Grand Prix.

I have fond memories of the city and the circuit as it's where I started my 125cc racing career with the MotoGP Academy in 2005.

My old Honda team are based there and so it's a special race.

The wrist and hand are still very sore, but they are getting stronger and as I found at Mugello, once the race starts you forget all about the pain.

I hope you did not get the Brads muddled up when watching the television from Mugello.

Bradley Smith was the one in the helmet and leathers, Brad Pitt was the cool guy in shades and a hat.

I think it was that way round . . .