RPNY

That’s what I couldn’t figure out. If Vaculik NKI and Zagar all crept in top 8 (and now they know they are certain next year will ride with more confidence) then there were 3 riders on 9 points. Surely they shoulda had a run off too?

This is all true. Simple fact is for all of the arguments on here about who should qualify/get wild cards, you never know how how anyone will be from season to season. Riders form can dip or improve dramatically. However For the most part there are 15 bloody good riders every year. Occasionally there’s a couple of obvious ones missing but that’s the nature of sport

I was very uninspired when those 2 qualified last night. And equally having never seen him ride before I was devastated fo poor Aspgren when he packed up in his last heat. however although you make a point about Zagar and NKI not being top 10, it’s not like they are a Harris (no disrespect to a rider I’ve always enjoyed watching) who will come 16th in pretty much every GP. They will be competitive and get heat wins in pretty much every GP and make a good amount of semi finals and finals. So they do make the GPs competitive. And more importantly, like it or not they qualified by right

What I struggle to understand is why people complain about the current format, qualifying system etc. Because quite simply if it comes to 4 riders on a track accumulating points the best will always be at the top. There’s been many different scoring systems in the GPs since 1995 and to my knowledge it’s yet to make someone who wasn’t the best riders be at the top of the score charts come the end of the season. As for the qualifying I’m not sure how anyone can complain. Everyone is given a equal opportunity to qualify. Sometimes it throws a few surprises. Last night the top 4 were no real shock but that is sport and whether you like them or not they are the riders who earned it by right. The last 2 GPS have been two of the best there’s ever been so the personnel is fine. The main issue right now is staging GPs in venues worthy of such a competition.

That’s all pretty spot on

Made the trip to Gorican. Superb stadium, the best speedway specific stadium Ive been to outside of Torun or Wroclaw. The presentation was absolutely great it really is a very nice set up. Took us just shy of an hour to get back to Zagreb after the meeting. I’d much rather see GPs held there than some of the current venues. Not that I want him in the GPs but have to feel tremendously sorry for Smolenski. Woulda been on at least 10 if it wasn’t for the flag mans error. Also was absolutely choked for poor Pontus Aspgren. Had his easiest ride of the night and was set to win the meeting and an engine failure put paid to that. sport can be very cruel.

So anyway Tai and Rosco...

What is Tai Greg & Doyle all need Wildcards?

2 semi finals (& Fricke a final) Each!

Very well put

They had i from Landshut too. Anyway fingers crossed theres something!

FIM streamed it on their YouTube channel the last few years

I agree but you also get some guys that come along and take to it quickly. Id rather just see some fresh faces have a go rather than same guys finishing between 6th -10 th again

Some new young blood hopefully. No offense to PUK, Zagar, Smolly, Bomber but nice to see a few young guns go through

Choker that this is the year he's injured. Coulda been the best crowd ever at Cardiff if he was leading and it was the penultimate round.

Sounds ominous

Correct. Big fan of Cookie but the GP's last year and several years of SWC/SoN show he struggles at that level.

I dont think it will be a huge shock if Lambert misses a season or 2 in the next few years.

With the team we are talking about here. Rosco isnt the only blame here. There is something fundamentally wrong with British riders and how they perform in international competition. For years I've watched British lads in GPs or in the SWC getting blown away by opposition. Hardly ever seem to get the set up right, suss the track, ride the correct lines (Cookie this weekend for eg) Yet riders we would say are of lesser ability from other nations are set up from the get go. As I said earlier its no great shock that our 2 best riders did the majority of their early learning in other countries. They are the only 2 that can really compete at international level. They need to be listened too. Not the same old dinosaurs who haven't moved with the times since we gave up being the best league in the world nearly 3 decades ago.

I will respectfully agree to disagree We would have got those Silver Medals with pretty much any Manager. We would not have got those Silver medals without Woffy.

No he isnt. Not tactically astute, not taken seriously by his riders, just an enthusiastic likable bloke. Not really whats needed at this level.

For all his Passion etc Rosco clearly is not the man for the job. Anyone saying he's done great and over achieved as GB manager are simply lying to themselves. Tai scored over 60% of our points when we came 2nd in 2016 and only dropped a point in 2 days last year. Zero to do with anything Rosco did. And its not a dig at Rosco it just is what it is. Bomber being selected this week was clearly a bad choice and really quite sad. He's a 2nd tier heat leader now, that's it. To see a rider so loved by British speedway fans trailing half a lap behind was really sad to see. Again for all his passion and being a good servant to British Speedway and all the usual caveats that come with these situations, he simply isnt good enough for this level and hasn't been for the best part of 5 years now. Cookie going after his performance at the same track in the GP Challenge is understandable, but even tho Im a big fan of his, it seems he just can't cut the mustard at this level. Watching the Danish U21 lad leave us for dead was just about the final straw yesterday. How can we never find the right set up? So in short, they do need to listen to what Tai (and Lambert) have to say and move on. No team win since 1989 and the only individual success coming from a lad who learnt it all in Aus and any future success resting with a lad who had a big part of his learning curve in Germany is very indicative of just how bad the GB set up is these days

Krsko Hallstervik Teterow even Vojens should not be GP venues in this day and age

Agreed. Crazy they dont have a GP there