US MotoGP: Home podium tough, says Colin Edwards

American Colin Edwards believes a podium finish in his home race in Laguna Seca this weekend will be tough to achieve with the American rating 2009 as the toughest in his premier class career.

The 35-year-old has finished twice finished fourth in the opening seven races in Qatar and in Assen last weekend.

But the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider believes adding to his 10 career top three finishes is getting harder and harder with competition in MotoGP as fierce as ever.

Edwards hasn’t finished on a MotoGP podium since the Assen round a year ago, and he reckons a rostrum will be hard to attain in California this weekend.

Edwards, who scored a solitary podium in Laguna Seca back in 2005, told MCN: “I love Laguna and I know that the Yamaha works great there so I’m really looking forward.

“I’ve not a podium there for a while so I feel like I’m due one. But getting a podium now is tougher than ever. I rode my hardest in Assen last weekend but this year in MotoGP it is so hard just to get a podium.

“The field is so strong now and it’s the hardest year I’ve ever had in MotoGP. I can’t remember the depth of talent ever being this strong and I’ve ridden nowhere near as hard as I did in Assen in the past and been on the podium.

“But I’m close to fourth in the championship and I was only beaten by the three fastest guys in the world, so I’m happy with the job I’m doing.

“We’re coming to tracks like Laguna Seca, Sachsenring and Donington where I go really well at, so we’ll see if we can crack that top three.”