Speedway World Cup 2017

[justathought]

in the 1940s it was so much better and we could have used riders from the Southern League division 4 and still beat Poland and Russia.......

[iris123]

It is to some extent a chicken and egg thing.I did talk some years ago now to a continental team manager and asked why there were no Brits over a period of years in the team.The answer was that they have no experience of riding those type of tracks.Without getting the chance in European competitions etc then how do they get much experience to then get picked?Quite possibly though it is the comfort zone thing,because Aussie riders do tend to get picked without any European competitions to gain experience.Robert Lambert has of curse gone a different route and gained a bit of continental experience at an early stage.Then again it didn't do him much good yesterday

[Starman2006]

I agree with all that you say, and don't really see where Alun Rossiter can go from here. Having said that, he wasn't riding the bike(s), and I can't think of anyway that he could have put a stronger Great Britain side out. As a country, we are not good enough, and it's time we all accepted it, and just enjoy the sport for what it is.

Neil Middleditch said this years ago. whoever took over won't do any better. And he's been proved right. We do not have the riders in this country.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Starman2006

[ray c]

Neil Middleditch said this years ago. whoever took over won't do any better. And he's been proved right. We do not have the riders in this country.

we do have the riders in this country but not the ambition of the governing body that runs speedway im afraid my opinion

[waytogo28]

Isn't it around this stage that some old boy pops up to tell us in the 1940s it was so much better and we could have used riders from the Southern League division 4 and still beat Poland and Russia.......

 

In the 1940s British beaches were much better, cleaner and with a lot less pollution. The speedway was for very hard men who gave it out and took, it as well. They were all British, Australian and a few Yanks. The Russians were very poor until the early 1960s and I remember as a teen age fan, when those four Russians arrived at Norwich and rode so well ( every other heat ). But in the 1940's and for ten years post war we could have used riders from the Southern League Division 4 and still beat Poland and Russia. Those were the days and I won't live long enough to see Team GB beat the Poles again. That's Life!

Something fundamentally wrong with the sport in this country and we simply have nobody yet coming through then can challenge.

 

Our best rider doesnt ride for us.........something not right from both sides but i can totallly understand Tai's frustrations trying to help a sport and his country that doesnt want to help itself.

 

Rosco is fine as Team boss. Who else could he have chosen? Lets be fair it could be worse we could have Middlo doing it again and seeing the likes of Kennett back in. How anyone can blame the manager for this is laughable.

 

Last year we came second because we had our best rider in the team.....he isnt now so we came 4th. Im pretty sure the Danes would have liked the chance to ride last night.

 

If it had been held at Rye House I am sure Kennett would have led from the front and top scored for Team GB. He knows his way around that place for sure. Not quite so sure which others places mind you.

[Bagpuss]

While I agree Lambert's gating is still poor and he probably hadn't progresses as quickly as most of us thought he has only been nineteen for the months, he is in only his fourth season of senior racing and had two more years in the U21s after this one do its a bit silly to write him off as average just yet.

[Grachan]

I remember dear old Frank Bruno in his pomp...

Came through as the next big thing for British Heavyweight Boxing...

Got fed carefully picked 'journeymen bums' so he could dispatch them within seconds to build his reputation....

Every fight on BBC generated the required hype and publicity. .,

First time he fought anyone with an ounce of ability he got handed his arse...

Our lads are in a similar comfort zone over here which they need to find a way of breaking out of..

Beating NL riders in both leagues when they double up is no preperation for International Speedway for Team GB riders.

How they get that exposure to racing against the best regularly though is the big question...

Especially when, dont forget, this is a Sport ran be people in this Country who replace young British riders in teams because they have upped their average and improved....!!

Unfortunately, people in this country love a Frank Bruno over a Lennox Lewis - and Tai is a Lennox Lewis.

 

I remember looking on in disbelief when the two fought and an entire pub wanted Bruno to beat 'The Canadian'. We had a british fighter good enough to take on the World and the Great British public wanted him to lose to someone who had already fallen short because his mum had moved to Canada when he was a kid.

 

I see a lot of similarities in the attitudes towards Tai and Lennox.

[speedibee]

 

You do realise the riders responsible for Doyle spending so much time in hospital were Hancock, Lindgren and Miedzinski don't you?

 

I think somebody else sees whatever they want to see too!

why ? did they not move out of the way . what goes around comes around , he will have plenty more hospital visits to come ,because he may well get away with it here but the poles wont have it

[Gavan]

why ? did they not move out of the way . what goes around comes around , he will have plenty more hospital visits to come ,because he may well get away with it here but the poles wont have it

what on earth are you wittering on about

[Terry]

why ? did they not move out of the way . what goes around comes around , he will have plenty more hospital visits to come ,because he may well get away with it here but the poles wont have it

 

I don't think Australians are too intimidated by the Poles..Boyce and Gollob showed us that

[GWC]

Team GB, guys are sitting on the fuel tank when exiting bends. Funny to read that "poles got better engines". Poles and top swedes, russians are just brave hitting bends hanging at the rear of the seat in straight lines accelerating until the very end before hitting sideways. Very aggressive technique to enter bends. Mentally very tough, cant have any doubts.

How many of the GB team have actually been brought up riding speedway as their first sport?

I'm guessing Lambert Harris probably grass track and Cook and Worrall come from motocross.

If GB plug away like this then it's difficult to see where improvement will come from at international level.

[speedibee]

mind your own business

[Gavan]

 

mind your own business

 

Im on a forum fella so if i want to ask you something i will. The fact you lack the intellect to debate shows you for what you are.

[Gresham78]

I'm quite sure that Team GB gave their all last night but did people really expect the team to do any better than they did?

Love him or loathe him Tai is a huge loss to the team as he's our only world class rider and head and shoulders above the likes of any other GB rider.

Let's face it only Tai's outstanding performance last year got us the runners up spot with him scoring at least half if not more of our final points tally.

We were always going to struggle without him when faced with top class opposition.

 

By the sounds of things Bomber gave his all and delivered as much as you could have expected of him. Also Steve Worral showed signs of his continuing promise after sorting himself out after a difficult start. Lambert is only 19 and come a long way in a short space of time - this was a big learning opportunity for him and given the progress he's made so far he could well be at Tai's level in the years to come.

The biggest question mark for me is Cook. He came into the sport late and has had to make up a lot of ground. His progress has been steady but nothing more. Going by the averages in the Speedway Star he's not in the top 6 of a weakened Premiership. True, he's through to the SGP challenge Final but unless he finishes in the top 3 in Togliatti and gets to a SF at Cardiff I don't think he can say that he's ready to take his place as a top class rider. Personally I feel Worrall and Lambert have a better chance of going further.

 

Credit to what the team has achieved though - I'm sure Demark and Australia would have preffered to have finished where we did.

[Paulco]

I'm quite sure that Team GB gave their all last night but did people really expect the team to do any better than they did?

Love him or loathe him Tai is a huge loss to the team as he's our only world class rider and head and shoulders above the likes of any other GB rider.

Let's face it only Tai's outstanding performance last year got us the runners up spot with him scoring at least half if not more of our final points tally.

We were always going to struggle without him when faced with top class opposition.

 

By the sounds of things Bomber gave his all and delivered as much as you could have expected of him. Also Steve Worral showed signs of his continuing promise after sorting himself out after a difficult start. Lambert is only 19 and come a long way in a short space of time - this was a big learning opportunity for him and given the progress he's made so far he could well be at Tai's level in the years to come.

The biggest question mark for me is Cook. He came into the sport late and has had to make up a lot of ground. His progress has been steady but nothing more. Going by the averages in the Speedway Star he's not in the top 6 of a weakened Premiership. True, he's through to the SGP challenge Final but unless he finishes in the top 3 in Togliatti and gets to a SF at Cardiff I don't think he can say that he's ready to take his place as a top class rider. Personally I feel Worrall and Lambert have a better chance of going further.

 

Credit to what the team has achieved though - I'm sure Demark and Australia would have preffered to have finished where we did.

Can't add to that , summed up the British performance completely . What an enigma Lindback is , he looked superb last night , as he does in GP's from time to time too , but equally he turns in some stinkers . But credit the Swedes , Poland was always going to win last night as their conveyer belt of talent is quite scary , but the Swedes hung in there and kept them honest .

[Trees]

I'd be happy if u beat Ruskies!!!

The Poles were all cheering the Russians as their own on the winners parade!

[New Yorker]

I predicted Sweden in an upset and was wrong. But have to say on a neutral track it would have been much closer. The Poles really knew that track last night...I think it was Pawlicki who was racing in the first set of heats when he squared off turn two and just shot by Lingrin.(I think) That was the hint for me for what was to follow.

 

The young Gleb was amazing not only in the way he rode but in his poise and smooth consistency under so much pressure. BUT the bike was set up right and I'm sure Emil had a lot to do with that along with lots of personal support. I don't think it was mentioned but Hample was busy in the pits and I'm sure helping with set up and moral support. Tia could have been instrumental in the same capacity and of course you have to think Hancock could have helped the U.S. sort a couple things out BUT...

 

Let's hope that great heat for Worrell is a glimpse into his future!! One last take away....of all the heats and close racing I can't remember anyone on the ground.? Amazing testament to these riders.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the series....looks like they can't get rid of the joker now that they made the vests.

[GWC]

I suppose we could ask the Poles if we could send our best prospects to ride in their leagues as we

allowed Poles into the UK when they were all but a one man nation in Zenon Plech.

Doubt it will or could happen today but Poland needs to look at where the opposition will come from in a few years time.

[Starman2006]

we do have the riders in this country but not the ambition of the governing body that runs speedway im afraid my opinion

No thats true, The BSPA have absolutely no ambition. But how many British WC do you know who have deserted british speedway..

[nw42]

I'm quite sure that Team GB gave their all last night but did people really expect the team to do any better than they did?

Love him or loathe him Tai is a huge loss to the team as he's our only world class rider and head and shoulders above the likes of any other GB rider.

Let's face it only Tai's outstanding performance last year got us the runners up spot with him scoring at least half if not more of our final points tally.

We were always going to struggle without him when faced with top class opposition.

 

By the sounds of things Bomber gave his all and delivered as much as you could have expected of him. Also Steve Worral showed signs of his continuing promise after sorting himself out after a difficult start. Lambert is only 19 and come a long way in a short space of time - this was a big learning opportunity for him and given the progress he's made so far he could well be at Tai's level in the years to come.

The biggest question mark for me is Cook. He came into the sport late and has had to make up a lot of ground. His progress has been steady but nothing more. Going by the averages in the Speedway Star he's not in the top 6 of a weakened Premiership. True, he's through to the SGP challenge Final but unless he finishes in the top 3 in Togliatti and gets to a SF at Cardiff I don't think he can say that he's ready to take his place as a top class rider. Personally I feel Worrall and Lambert have a better chance of going further.

 

Credit to what the team has achieved though - I'm sure Demark and Australia would have preffered to have finished where we did.

 

Can't argue with that but I do think we should cut Cook a bit of slack, at least until Cardiff where he will have an opportunity to show that last night was the exception rather than the rule. I know we can't afford for anyone, least of all our captain, to have an off night on such an occasion but realistically, as you say, we still achieved what anyone could have expected.

 

I think he'll do ok at Cardiff, the track will suit him far better and that will help his confidence, wouldn't be surprised if he makes the semis. We all know it's a confidence sport and last night must have shattered his, now he needs a good couple of weeks to rebuild, I've still got high hopes for him.