PHILIPRISING

PROBLEM for the Russian team is a lack of support from their own Federation.

YOU are so funny I'm splitting.my sides

RELATIVELY easy? Sitting in front of your telly maybe.

WHY? Aren't riders supposed to win a race rather than avoiding last. Nothing wrong with the scoring over the weekend bar the last two races.

EFFECTIVELY it was 4-3-2-0 in the final ... 2nd and 3rd trumped 1st

THANK you...

HERE goes, pure conjecture of course. After a couple of laps Tai believed that there was nothing he could to to help Lambert into third place. GB could only win if Emil or Artem fell or suffered an engine failure. If that happened GB would win whether Tai was second or first. His racing instincts kicked in and he went for the win on the last lap. At least it gave GB more points, a moral victory in some people's eyes. I think it should be remembered that Russia had the second best individual rider over two days (Laguta) and the best number two .. which made them the best pair and were strong favourites to win a final in which, ridiculously I agree, not finishing last carried more weight than winning. Hope that is sufficiently obtuse.

IT comes naturally.

I DON'T think I ever said they weren't trying to win. GB probably had the right tactics for the final prior to the start of the race (although it might have been better for Tai and Robert to have changed gate positions) but once the tapes go up those tactics are dictated by what the opposition do. And once Emil passed Lambert they became irrelevant. On a track like Wroclaw, with so many racing lines, I find it hard to believe that Tai could have done anything that would have helped Lambert get past a world class rider like Emil who knew exactly what he had to do.

I WILL try one last time ... I believe that Emil is too good to allow a rider like Lambert to pass him no matter what Tai might have done. I am as entitled to my view as any. Doesn't make me right. Or wrong.

MJJ is the wild card

THE simple fact is that Lambert had to beat Sayfutdinov in the final heat of effectively a World Final. In a couple of years maybe but after four third places in six rides it was unlikely and unrealistic unless he got ahead with Tai, which he didn't. No criticism of Lambert.

NOT when the opposition were ahead

NOT really because prize money for Cardiff is paid out of Geneva not the UK

HAD Belle Vue been the Saturday event I think you would have seen a bigger attendance. A Tuesday night at Manchester doesn't work.

BUT they have three riders. Age doesn't affect travel, hotels, etc.

IT'S an art

WOULDN'T have an U-21 rider, just a third member of the squad. Riders for each race can be determined by team manager.

IF it was race winner takes all in the final we wouldn't be having this discussion and Tai would be a hero. Have never agreed with second and third trumping first.

SORRY, I will re-phrase that ... he was never going to beat Emil after he had been relegated to the back. If Lambert had been second or third off the first turn Tai's tactics might well have been different. Anyway its all in the eye of the beholder.

BECAUSE GB had got silver, he had scored 38 points and it's his home track. Plenty to celebrate there.

IT'S all about opinions ... that's mine. I don't believe Lambert was going to beat Sayfutdinov with or without Tai's help. And that is no criticism of Robert.

REALISTIC not defeatist

DO you seriously believe that? Tai selfish? Please ...

BECAUSE I don't believe he got his tactics wrong. If Lambert had actually got into third then I have no doubt Tai would have held back. But Robert didn't and was never likely to even if by some magic Tai could have kept a rider of Emil's ability at bay while also shepherding Lambert alongside him.