BWitcher

I'm assuming you are trying to disprove what Nick Rushbrook was saying, but by naming Ward you have done quite the opposite. Most would say Ward was more naturally talented than Woffinden. Yet who became Senior World Champion?

Jealous. I'll have to make do with a swim in the pool and then hopefully WM's coverage but I know where I would rather be! Enjoy the meeting.

Tougher rides at No 5, perhaps to aid Thorssell in getting a lower average for next year as it is inflated somewhat from riding at No 4.

Also the modern bikes tend to handle better on slicker surfaces do they not?

Does anyone know what has happened to Fred Flange? Seems his last post was on June 21st when he had another of his infamous rants. Funnily enough, on that same day, the Drop a Cog account was changed to the name of "Fred Flange" and it is that account that has been stinking up the forum since. Of course, we know multiple accounts are totally against forum rules.

Not through the Sky service. The only way I know too is if they were uploaded to Youtube at some point which many were (certainly the more recent ones).

Why? Because other riders have seen what he is doing, learned from it and are doing it themselves.

That's not what you said though, you claimed the World Cup shows that fitness means nothing. Of course it's not the be all and end all, however it is part of the package and as I mentioned before it can help improve your mental focus which is the crux of what you are saying above and I agree with.

You must be reading something else then. He stated that the World Cup has shown that all this healthy crap does nothing. It's an absolutely ridiculous claim. You trying to bring other sports into the argument to back it up is even more ridiculous!

Really? So none of the Poles train is what you are trying to claim? Being physically fit, having the right diet can help with the mental side tremendously.

The thread is ruined, as was the last one and the one before by one person alone, that is Fred Flange. Stevebrum is not the only person to have issues with him. Posters like you, attacking the victim, instead of the instigator do not help the matter as it merely emboldens him as you can see from the very next post.

That is his sole objective. Simply don't respond to him.

Fully agree Hodgy. There are many factors surrounding crowd figures both increasing and decreasing, both in Sweden and the UK. I'm glad you have noted they increased though as old Fred Flange is still peddling the argument that those figures somehow prove that the playoffs adversely effected attendances in Sweden. Irrelevant nonsense again.

Irrelevant Nonsense as usual. Average crowd from 1994-1999 with no playoffs: 1223 Average crowd from 2000-2007 after playoffs introduced (Not including playoffs): 2725.50. Case closed.

So we can now put to bed the false claim you have made on thread after thread that the figures show playoffs had an adverse effect on attendances in Sweden.

It's just a fact that crowds are considerably higher since the playoffs than prior. You'd do well in business if you think sales of 2,4,6,8,10 in successive months are better than 100,99,98,97,96.. which is effectively what you are arguing here. I repeat, the facts are crowds are MUCH higher in Sweden since playoffs were introduced compared to prior in the figures that were provided. Here are the figures that you are referring too. av attendance 1994 1009 1995 1135 1996 1089 1997 1137 1998 1172 1999 1796 Play-offs introduced av attendance excluding play-offs 2000 2261 2001 2781 2002 2678 2003 2847 2004 2864 2005 3029 2006 2602 2007 2742 Play-off final attendances 2000 12242 & 7464 2001 8639 & 9080 2002 5940 & 8035 2003 5468 & 8426 2004 5709 & 7526 2005 8703 & 7264 2006 7901 & 5899 2007 9398 & 8564 The HIGHEST average attendance in the 1994-1999 period before playoffs is nowhere close to the LOWEST since the playoffs were introduced in the figures shown. Only a complete imbecile could try and use the figures above to attempt to prove the playoffs had an adverse effect on crowds in Sweden. This of course before we even factor in the bumper attendances in the play-offs. To make it very very simple, Average crowd from 1994-1999 with no playoffs: 1223 Average crowd from 2000-2007 after playoffs introduced (Not including playoffs): 2725.50. So no, the playoffs did not have an adverse effect on crowds in Sweden once introduced, they more than doubled.

Flange mentions this over and over and over. The reality was the figures were published to show the effect the playoffs had in Sweden, which were positive. Flange in his usual way tried to twist the figures as they have been steadily declining. Sadly, he ignores the fact that even with that being the case, they are still much higher (bar ONE season) than before the playoffs were introduced. In summary, the average attendance in Sweden since the playoffs were brought in is considerably higher than the years beforehand.

It should be remembered Masters is riding at No 5, not protected at 4 like Thorssell is. Swap the positions round I daresay you'd see a difference in scoring.

He wouldn't stand out at the NSS as much where skill is of far less importance. Not a knock on the track in the slightest, it's fantastic, but the fact that it does require less skill to compete on it levels the playing field, creating the great racing.

It's comments like that this that stir up the flak he gets... as shown by the subsequent posts.

Excellent post, sums it up very well.

Calm down, I think you will find Steve was referring to Wolves having the home track advantage.

Might be useful in reducing average?

6 weeks was initial prognosis.

I guess we will find out soon enough. Reports on another thread suggest that riders who hadn't achieved the 4H 4A would remain on original average (for Premiership). Question is, does that mean Riss stays on 4.00, or does it change as per his new Championship average?