Who Finishes Where 2018

[waiheke1]

Zmarzlick

Woffy

Doyle

Dudek

Emil

Greg

Janowski

Holder

Lindgren

Laguta

Pedersen

Zagar

Vaculik

Pawlicki

Cook

[CUFC_Brummie]

Dudek

Zmarzlik

Woffinden

Doyle

Janowski

Sayfutdinov

Lindgren

Vaculik

Hancock

Zagar

Pawlicki

Laguta

Cook

Holder

Pedersen (injury)

[waytogo28]

Dudek

Zmarzlik

Woffinden

Doyle

Janowski

Sayfutdinov

Lindgren

Vaculik

Hancock

Zagar

Pawlicki

Laguta

Cook

Holder

Pedersen (injury)

 

Sounds about right and with Pedersen leaving in mid series with injury and Chris Holder retiring in disillusionment with his form.

[full-throttle]

Here goes........

 

 

 

1. Woffinden
2. Dudek

​3. Doyle
4. Sayfutdinov
5. Janowski
6. Zmarlik
7. Hancock
8. Lindgren
9. Zagar
10. Vaculick
11. Pawlicki

​12. Pedersen

​13. Holder
14. Laguta
15. Cook

 

[Mark]

Very hard as so many riders are closely matched. Could be 15 points covers 7th to 13th

 

1 Woffinden.

2. Doyle

3. Lindgren

4. Pedersen

5. Zagar

6. Dudek

7. Zmarksik

8. Emil

9. Janowski

10. Hancock

11. Vaculik

12. Laguta

13. Pawlicki

14. Holder

15. Cook

 

A fan of Cookie but he struggled big style in the SWC in Poland. If he gets off to a bad start I can see him temperament letting him down and having a hard time. He needs a good start in the first 2 GP's. Hancock goes down to 10th as he'll be riding 3rd tier Polish speedway so he'll lack the sharpness of old. But he does keep surprising. I'll give Pedersen a chance to shine in a few GP's. Holder to show 2017 was no fluke. Dudek to do the same as Zmartzik and have a worse year 2.

 

Injuries to play a big part probably but here's hoping all 15 stay fit for 12 GP's. Doubt that has ever happened..

Edited May 9, 2018 by Mark

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Dont underestimate Laguta , he is a class act when he is up for it and he is a good gator too , I think top 5 for him , I think pedersen will make the top 8 but wont really be a title contender , Doyle zmarzlik and sayfutinov top 3 for me with zmarzlik coming out on top , with woffinden Hancock lindgren making up the top 8

[New Yorker]

My comment is also sort of linked to the "What If" thread......I'm not a huge Doyle fan but I don't think I've heard a lot of comments on just how dominant and consistent he really was. I didn't look it up but I think he only missed one final all season. If he had made five finals and won two events that in my opinion would have been respectable. It seems that many of us were disappointed with last years season and one reason is that every final that Doyle made kept another rider out (obviously) but things didn't get mixed up as much which would have made for a more interesting season. He just had an amazing season and my hats off to him.....if he rides anywhere near his 2017 season I can't see anyone catching him.

 

I really wasn't too disappointed this season.....we saw some great riding with a few surprises along the way and am looking forward to next year. I think Laguta will do better than some might expect and am glad to see him in there. I would swear off speedway for a year to see Emil win it all in 2018......a class act who I think added a lot to last season!

[Mark]

Dont underestimate Laguta , he is a class act when he is up for it and he is a good gator too , I think top 5 for him , I think pedersen will make the top 8 but wont really be a title contender , Doyle zmarzlik and sayfutinov top 3 for me with zmarzlik coming out on top , with woffinden Hancock lindgren making up the top 8

Lets see your 1-15.

[waytogo28]

Interesting that very few posters give Cook much of a chance of the top eight! Unless he does make a cracking start in the first two or three GPs he probably will flounder.

[Panthers89]

1. Doyle

2. Zmarszlik

3. Emil

4. Tai

5. Dudek

6. Janowski

7. Laguta

8. Lindgren

9. Hancock

10. Zagar

11. Holder

12. Pawlicki

13. Vaculik

14. Nicki P

15. Cook

[NickRushbrook]

1 Doyle

2 Janowski

3 Woffinden

4 Zmarzlik

5 Emil

6 Dudek

7 Hancock

8 Laguta

9 Zagar

10 Cook

11 Lindgren

12 Holder

13 Shamek

14 Vaculic

15 Pedersen

 

Cook will start slow but improve with every GP I'm sure.

[Bagpuss]

Cook will have flaws at this level at least initially and I don't expect him to trouble the top eight, BUT he can gate which is absolutely vital. Certainly don't think he will be cannon fodder. If he can get some good kit under him he will be a nuisance and a spoiler at least. May even surprise us all and finish somewhere around midway in the series.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Gordon Bennett

[Paleco]

Doyle

Woffy

Zagar

Dudek

Zmarzlik

Holder

Emil

Lindgren

Hanckok

Janowski

Vaculik

Pawlicki

Pedersen

Laguta

 

 

 

 

Cook

 

[Fromafar]

Cook will have flaws at this level at least initially and I don't expect him to trouble the top eight, BUT he can gate which is absolutely vital. Certainly don't think he will be cannon fodder. If he can get some good kit under him he will be a nuisance and a spoiler at least. May even surprise us all and finish somewhere around midway in the series.

Cook can gate,but 1st bends are pretty ruthless in GPs,better hope he is well clear IMO .

[waytogo28]

Cook will have flaws at this level at least initially and I don't expect him to trouble the top eight, BUT he can gate which is absolutely vital. Certainly don't think he will be cannon fodder. If he can get some good kit under him he will be a nuisance and a spoiler at least. May even surprise us all and finish somewhere around midway in the series.

 

I hope that you are right as at his best Cook can be superb and be great to watch. Only he can crack the way that pressure seems to bear down on him. Making the top eight though seems very unlikely to me.

[Gavan]

 

I hope that you are right as at his best Cook can be superb and be great to watch. Only he can crack the way that pressure seems to bear down on him. Making the top eight though seems very unlikely to me.

Agree totally.

 

Can see Cook being similar to say Batchelor when he was in the series. The odd semi , maybe even one blinding GP like Batch had, but ultimately will end up near the bottom end. Hopefully im wrong

[Anzum]

Batch finished 9th in his first season above Lindgren and Iversen. Can see Cook finishing 10th plus or minus one.

[phillipsr]

Batch finished 9th in his first season above Lindgren and Iversen. Can see Cook finishing 10th plus or minus one.

Batch is a better rider than cook though. Certainly abroad

[INCOGNITO]

2018 CONTENDERS

Yet again a very strong list but over a full season and hoping all stay fit, I can only see five riders capable of winning the title with JASON DOYLE favourite due to consistent high scores and feel his strongest opponent will be TAI WOFFINDEN who has the right set up and team to win his third title and has the right attitude to do it again.

 

Then you have PATRYK DUDEK who had a great 2017 but the pressure did get to him in the run in while BARTOSZ ZMARZLIK came from a poor start to show his true form and like EMIL SAYFUTDINOV he can be unbeatable on his day. These are the five to lead the way.

 

So now we have who will finish top eight and this gets difficult as all are capable but if he is fully fit FREDRIK LINDGREN will be up there and MATEJ ZAGAR could be the main contenders along with MARTIN VACULIK.

 

GREG HANCOCK you should never write off but have a feeling this will be a year too far and just miss out while MACIEJ JANOWSKI like Greg could be up the top end but he just didn't seem with it at times last season and consistency could be the problem, however both are capable of finishing ahead of the three above.

 

ARTEM LAGUTA has always been a rider I have felt should have been here years ago at this level and think he will have some rounds where he does well, but think he will be the best of the rest while CHRIS HOLDER and NICKI PEDERSEN are the two riders I'm going to write off this year and will struggle in most rounds as will SHAMEK PAWLICKI while CRAIG COOK is the new Chris Harris and apart from the odd ride will be shown up for his lack of knowledge on how different riding abroad is compared to Britain. 

 

 

[Col]

Podium - Woffinden, Zmarzlik, Doyle.
Top 8 - Sayfutdinov, Lindgren, Dudek, Janowski, Zagar
Close but... - Hancock, Vaculik
Also rans - Pedersen, Pawlicki, Laguta, Holder, Cook.