robpeasley

Looking forward to my first visit to Redcar. Even more now I've learnt that both Skornicki and Howe will be in the line-up. All the best Rob

Why was the other thread locked anyway? There was no bad language or anyone being particulary nasty to each other. True, the discussion had been going round in circles, but with the nomation of Nicholls and Harris, it would have moved on. Also, I wanted to see how quickly my old Mongolian chum could rack up 500 posts on the same thread!!! All the best Rob

Subedei wrote on the other now locked thread (therefore let's move the discussion onto this one): "Anyway, any chance of those among you who posted that you want to see "the best 15 riders" in the GP coming on and criticising Harris' inclusion. I doubt any of you are deluded enough to say that Harris is superior to Kolodziej." Sub, I'll stay consistent. Harris was not in my list of the world's top 15. I don't think Harris should be in the 2007 GP series - it's a year or two too early for him. He's amongst the best 30 in the world, but not amongst the best 15. The only Brit in next year's series should be Scott Nicholls. Incidentally, why do you keep mentioning Kolodziej? It doesn't do your argument any good. He's been very inconsistent when I've seen him. Like Harris, I would place him in the best 30 in the world, but certainly not amongst the best 15. Peter Karlsson is a better rider than either of them - but isn't in the 2007 GP series. There's the injustice, that Harris has been picked ahead of PK (the only rider in my top 15 who won't be in the 2007 series). If you started banging on about that, as opposed to your one-man crusade against Scott Nicholls, I'm sure more people would listen. All the best Rob

Well, it should be Peter Karlsson instead of Chris Harris, but otherwise I agree with that list of riders. All the best Rob

Subedei wrote: "Anyway, any chance of those among you who posted that you want to see "the best 15 riders" in the GP coming on and criticising Harris' inclusion. I doubt any of you are deluded enough to say that Harris is superior to Kolodziej." Sub, I'll stay consistent. Harris was not in my list of the world's top 15. I don't think Harris should be in the 2007 GP series - it's a year or two too early for him. He's amongst the best 30 in the world, but not amongst the best 15. The only Brit in next year's series should be Scott Nicholls. Incidentally, why do you keep mentioning Kolodziej? It doesn't do your argument any good. He's been very inconsistent when I've seen him. Like Harris, I would place him in the best 30 in the world, but certainly not amongst the best 15. Peter Karlsson is a better rider than either of them - but won't get into the 2007 series, as I expect Lindback and Bjarne Pedersen to get the other two places. There's the injustice, that Harris has been picked ahead of PK (the only rider in my top 15 who won't be in the 2007 series). If you started banging on about that, as opposed to your one-man crusade against Scott Nicholls, I'm sure more people would listen. All the best Rob

Subedei wrote: "I was meaning to contact you about that wager. I'll shortly be making a donation to one of cheetahhawk's chosen charities and thought I'd make it a double donation by including our wager. But I'd forgotten the sum involved. I believe it was £25, but I'm not sure." Sub, I can't remember the exact amount, but that's a brilliant idea, please go ahead. All the best Rob

Subedei wrote: "I've given my list of fifteen riders I consider better than Nicholls. If you don't consider them better, well you're wrong." Sub, I admire you for sticking to your guns mate, however wrong you may be. As we well know, Nicholls WILL be in the 2007 GP series, so let's defer the argument to the end of 2007, and then discuss whether Nicholls was a worthy representative in the 2007 GP series. All the best Rob P.S. Just a reminder of our little bet regarding Gollob becoming World Champion...

Sub, I notice although you have now posted 138 times(!!!) on this subject, you still haven't given 15 riders in the world who I consider to be better than Scott Nicholls. Until you do, I will remain convinced that Scott Nicholls is deserving of his 2007 place, not because of his nationality, but because he is, in my opinion, around the 11th or 12th best rider in the world, and therefore should be in the GP. Back to you mate, did you come up with better examples than Kolodziej and Seb Ulamek?? Now, if you were to direct your arguments towards the second British rider likely to be seeded into next year's GP series, then you would have a much, much better argument, as I fail to see a second British rider who is amongst the world's best 15 and yet you can bet your bottom dollar that a second British rider will be in the 2007 GP series. My own rankings (not calculated, but simply my opinion): 1. Jason Crump 2. Hans Andersen 3. Greg Hancock 4. Nicki Pedersen 5. Andreas Jonsson 6. Leigh Adams 7. Matej Zagar 8. Tomasz Gollob 9. Jarek Hampel 10. Peter Karlsson 11. Antonio Lindback 12. Scott Nicholls 13. Bjarne Pedersen 14. Wieslaw Jagus 15. Rune Holta All the best Rob

Subedei, Result of ELRC: 1. Crumpie 2. Nicki P 3. Greg 4. NICHOLLS 5. Hans Andersen 6. Todd 7. Leigh Adams Hmmmm.... surely a rider who finishes ahead of Hans Andersen and Leigh Adams in one of the biggest individual events outside of the GP series is worthy of a GP place? Kolodziej is nowhere ready for a GP place... Nicholls is a much, much better rider. So give us a BETTER example of a rider who should be in the GP in Nicholls's place. All the best Rob

Cheers Rabbit - PM now sent. All the best Rob

"If you do decide to go for it and come down, if you want to PM your mobile number I can text you if anything changes." Hi Rabbit, I'd like to take you up on that kind offer if that's OK. Going to leave Oxford around 1.15pm. All the best Rob

Subedei, I understand your wish that the GP series should contest of the best 15 riders in the world. But your arguement on here is full of holes. Anyone can see that Nicholls probably would have qualified for the GP series had he not missed the Czech round. OK, he's only made one final, but he's also made most of the semi-finals, suggesting he is competitive enough in the GP meetings. As for suggesting that Kolodziej and Ulamek are amongst the best 15 riders in the world, do me a favour. They are good riders, but they certainly would not be as competitive in the GP series as Nicholls. Yes, there's a lot of us worried about the lack of top British riders at the moment, and it also concerns me when I travel to Poland and witness a much better organised league than those in Britain. But don't take it out on Nicholls, who is the only World class British rider about at the moment. All the best Rob

Sub, To be fair, Nicholls has got a valid excuse this year, he WAS in the top eight at the time of his collarbone injury, and looking at the final standings, he would have probably booked an automatic place he had not missed a round. Personally, I think all the riders down to twelfth (Bjarne Pedersen) have been competitive and good value in the GP this year. Given that Hans Andersen doesn't qualifty courtesy of his overall sixth, but does qualify along with Jagus & Holta from the GP Qualifier, that makes 14 riders (13 if Gollob does retire, I hope not, after seeing him weave his magic in the "flesh" on Saturday). Maybe the fairest solution would be to put in the next one or two from the qualifier, that's Peter Karlsson and then also Chris Harris (if Gollob does retire). That way, surely no-one has been selected on the basis of their nationality, but on their position in the GP series (top 12) or GP qualifier (top 5). All the best Rob

Norbold, Surely the 1946-1948 British Riders' events should not be counted, as they were not "World" events as such, with the vast number of riders coming from Britain, Australia or the USA. In fact, in 1946, I don't think even many Aussies (such as Vic Duggan, not over in Britain again until 1947) or Amercans were in it either. It was only in 1949 that the event became a true "World" event again. Anyway, Peter Craven was my dad's favourite rider, so I want him to stay as a No. 1 Brit!! And, personally, I would award 6-4-2 points for the World Final and 3-2-1 for the GP series, as the World Final was much tougher to win. One mistake or bad ride and you were history in the World Final. In the GP series, it's even possible to have a couple of bad rides in the qualifying heats and still win a GP, due to top eight (half the field) getting to contest the semi-finals. And no-one has yet to go through a GP series reaching every final, so no-one has yet put in the almost-faultless you needed to put in to win a World Final. All the best Rob

I'm surprised that the referee is getting such a bashing, because it was an incident pached GP and he called just about all the decisions right. His big blunder was not to bring the race back after Lee Richardson had the spokes taken out of his wheel. Otherwise: Heat 4 - Greg excluded for tapes, correct Heat 6 - Nicki excluded for tapes, correct Heat 7 - Richardson excluded for falling, correct Heat 10 - Nicki excluded for bringing down Sullivan, correct Heat 11 - Bjarne Pedersen excluded for causing Crump to fall, correct Heat 13 - Sullivan excluded for two minutes, correct - the riders know the GP rules regarding two minutes, Sullivan was there a second too late. Very harsh, but those are the rules. Notice how Sullivan wasn't blaming the ref, but his mechanics. So he knows what the rules are. Heat 17 - Bjarne Pedersen excluded for two minutes, correct - see above. Heat 19 - Adrian Rymel excluded after locking up bang in front of Jonsson, causing Jonsson to run into him and Rymel to fall, correct One bad decision during the whole night. I think the ref wasn't bad at all. All the best Rob