21st century heathen

I'm confussed!!! (on two counts) I don't understand those who think the new system will provide less racing. Every position matters now. Previously the only race that really]/i] made a difference was the fight for second place over third. Even for those who can't make the semis towards the end of the match (Hans) has to race for points to take forward. Secondly I don't understand why speedway persists in making things as complicated. Why can't we have a standard 20 heat format, 5 rides each, normal points scored, no semis or finals (as they can reward a decent rider on the night with more than he deserved), and the standard points scored are carried forward to the following GP's. That way the most consistantly good rider at the end of the season will be champ. This has to be without a doubt the best way to find the best rider over the season. ...or am I talking too much sense for this sport again? Oh, and the track was crap TRick was a class apart and so much for me putting a quid on Hans.

Thanks for the update. I was quite concerned for him. It was certainly a heavy fall. Great news he's okay.

Does anyone have any news on the lad that looped at the start? Sad to report he seemed to have suffered a bad injury. It took a long time to get him into a neck brace and it looked like a spinal board from where I was. Also saw a 'proper' ambulance (paramedics) when i was leaving the stadium. Hope it was all a precaution, and he's okay. On a positive note Josh was a class apart. Very impressive.

Taken from William Hill website. J Crump ( Aus ) 7/2 T Rickardsson ( Swe ) 5/1 T Gollob ( Pol ) 5/1 L Adams ( Aus ) 7/1 N Pedersen ( Den ) 8/1 K Kasprazak ( Pol ) 10/1 H Andersen ( Den ) 10/1 G Hancock ( Usa ) 16/1 A Jonsson ( Swe ) 16/1 S Nicholls ( Gbr ) 20/1 R Sullivan ( Aus ) 20/1 J Hampel ( Pol ) 25/1 L Richardson ( Gbr ) 33/1 B Pedersen ( Den ) 33/1 A Lindback ( Swe ) 50/1 T Chrzanowski ( Pol ) 66/1 J Kolodziej ( Pol ) ( Reserve ) 66/1 A Miedsniski ( Pol ) ( Reserve ) 66/1

NEW WILLIAM HILL ODDS T Gollob 4/1 J Crump 11/2 T Rickardsson 6/1 L Adams 7/1 G Hancock 7/1 A Jonsson 8/1 N Pedersen 12/1 H Anderson 14/1 R Sullivan 16/1 J Hampel 16/1 S Nicholls 20/1 P Protasiewicz 25/1 B Pedersen 25/1 T Chrzanowski 40/1 R Holta 40/1 L Richardson 40/1 M Max 50/1 M Loram 50/1 K Kasprazak 50/1 L Dryml 125/1 K Laukkanen 150/1 J Jensen 150/1 B Brhel 150/1 A Dryml 150/1 AJ still looks a good bet. Jarek, or the Drymls perhaps. Hard to see past Tomasz or Jason though. Both of those still good odds.

1. AJ (if he stops aimming for the holes) 2. Gollob (always there or there abouts, but not so quick this year) 3. Hancock (go on my son!!! 7/1 to be WC ) 4. Pedersen (still think he'll be challenging for a win before the year's out)

Supprisingly they aint been posted on their website yet. I'll post here when they appear.

Only seen him a couple of times. Don't expect a great deal, but as with most wild cards he's capable of jumping out the start and getting in everybodys way. I think the best bets have to be AJ at 25/1 and Mark at 66/1 1) Greg 2) AJ 3) Jason 4) Mark

But she never interviews Mark or Scott... I think you'll find she interviews who she's told to by that little voice in her head.

I can't quite believe some are virtually ignoring this. What Crump did was dangerous, unprovoked, and certainly an unsportsman like action. He drew his leg back, and kicked out with force going into the first turn. With three riders outside him he could have unsettled Nicki enough to cause a huge pile up. To laugh this off is almost as much a disgrace as Jason doing it. I've never seen a rider try to knock someone off so blantantly, without any provokation, or in such a way. There's no question of it being a heat of the moment racing incident. I sincerely hope that Jason is warned about his future conduct, and any repeat of this behaviour should be very severely dealt with. I'm sure you'll all be very pleased with your new 'whiter than white' world champion. Personally, I've lost a whole lot of respect for the guy.

Can't take it away from him. He rode very well on the night, and was a deserved winner. Still doesn't change the fact that he was a naughty boy in the SWC, but on Sat he was class. He rode a brilliant first turn in the final, and held his nerve under pressure.

Stick your (well my) neck out time. 1) Leigh 2) AJ 3) Grin 4) Nicki Be boring if Jason wins, and he did bash me round the head with his bag on the plane to Denmark.

Surely that should be "That is definitely the case, at the moment Steve."

Cheaper than the pleasure beach though.

...and just watch your belongings. Prague is reputed to have problems with pick pockets. I didn't have any problems though so I think common sense will be all you need.

Sorry to be boring but Leigh. I'll work on the top four, and get back to you.

Shazzy I'm sure you'll agree we can't do right for doing wrong on here sometimes. If you have a go at someone, you're not considering their feelings (or their family and friends). If you back someone, you're either sucking up to them or you get abused. If you're serious, you're told to lighten up, and when you do someone has a go at you for not taking it seriously.

21CH?! Making sense?! No wonder you're scared You've been sitting quietly waiting for your chance to do that haven't you. Don't worry you'll get yours missy.

Well it would wouldn't it - seeing as he's got a damaged hip joint. Chill. It's not like I said I wished he'd fallen down a flight of stairs. We're just having a giggle, nobody is really having a pop at him.

I try but don't be scared

Shazzy I work with a woman who will go green with envy when I tell her she missed the chance of a piccy with Scott. (she could have used her daughter as an excuse to sneak in)

Well I've given myself plenty of time to think it through objectively so here goes. Hans is only human, and we all make mistakes...but boy this is a biggy!!! First of all I have to say that reports of him recieving threats sickens me, and I hope nobody on here would sink so low. The race itself... It was a four man race, and if integrity and sport are to stand side by side I expect four riders to race. I do not believe that Hans and Tomasz should have sat back and let Scott and Peter battle it out. Particularly with match/race betting the riders have a duty to give it their all. Not only that but we pay our money to watch four rider races. It wouldn't have made any difference if Peter and Scott had been 3rd and 4th. Hans has a strange style of racing which I've commented on many times. He raises his elbows almost to the height of his shoulders. It is not this but his hand/wrist that should be looked at. It seems clear that he closed the throttle, for whatever reason. Having already looked at PK twice coming out of the turn this gives the impression that he deliberately allowed PK to pass him, and then rode mid-track in front of Scott at a reduced speed (having lost momentum). It may be true that he was trying to get the back wheel to hook up, only he will really know. Would it have made any difference to the outcome... Well maybe. PK was the faster rider (compared to Scott) but as we saw with Mark and AJ on a scandalously slick track that wasn't all that important. AJ was slower than Mark but was able to block him out. It was track position that was all important, and PK had that handed to him on a plate. If Hans had taken the normal racing line, given the circumstances, things could have been different. Having seen PK with an outside run the natural racing line would surely have been to drift wide to cover the move, but he made no attempt to stop PK. Had he done so that would have given Scott a clear run down the inside. If it's true that Hans was 'spinning his t!t$ off' then Scott would have passed him comfortabley, and I don't think PK could have passed Scott. Ifs and but's obviously but I've thought it through carefully, and truely believe that in a parallel universe somewhere on another plain the Brits are celebrating. The interview... Hans really blew it here. A lot of comments have been about Hans lying about what happened. If he had come clean, or lied better, then perhaps people wouldn't be so unhappy. There's no point me going any further on this as it is a obvious to you all as it is to me that Hans had to have seen PK. As for not turning up at Eastie Certainly didn't help whatever the truth may be. Will he be forgiven... Well probably, in time. Nobody really bothers to much about Tomasz anymore and Hans will be the same. Just ask Nicki. It's only a matter of time until another rider screws up and you're forgotten.

Well done to all concerned. You all did us proud, and you should all hold your heads high. It would be easy to break it down and say that ??? should have beat ??? in heat ???, but that would be very unfair. Overall you did a fantastic job, and we couldn't have asked for more. We went sooooooooooooo close. Very disappointed, as is everyone else, but that's life. In the end I think the luck evened itself out. We were lucky to get a re-run when Lee was taken out, and when Scott should have been excluded. We were unlucky with re-runs for Nicki/Mikael crash, Scott pulling up. All-in-all the Swedes pulled it all together when it really matered in the last few heats, rather like Thurs. Whatever your view on Hans antics it wasn't the Swedes fault so well done to them too.

I was just waiting for him to topple over when he crouched down on the track. Now that would have been funny.

Don't give up hope til the end. I think the Poles are a serious threat to the Aussies. The Poles will go much better, and the Czechs will take points off the more favoured riders. If the Poles can get a Czech between them and the Aussies, particularly the bottom two, then they will go very close.