Thursday 16 December 2010
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Lauren Vickers - Model & Grid Girl - Motorcycle Monthly Page 27
http://www.mpldigital.com/mortons-media/motorcycle-monthly/51
Check out page 27 online of Motorcycle Monthy for my feature on Lauren Vickers.
Check out page 27 online of Motorcycle Monthy for my feature on Lauren Vickers.
Speedway World Cup - Bomber; We can beat anyone on the day!
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_13379.shtml
It was a marvellous night for Team Great Britain at a packed out Norfolk Arena in Kings Lynn on Monday at Round 2 of the Speedway World Cup. It was a titanic tussle between the host nation Team Great GB and a young Australian side that featured many ex Kings Lynn riders.
After Simon Stead was excluded for Tea, GB in heat 23, it looked as though the side may not win the meeting and the final two heats were the decider for victory on the night. Wins from GP star Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls, sent the Brits’ straight through to Saturday’s final in Vojens. Denmark and sent a large crowd home very happy. Leandra Graves spoke to the Coventry star after the awesome display to see how pleased he was with the team’s performance.
“Yes I’m really happy. The team manager was really good tonight and the five of us got together and rode as a team. Danny King was there as the extra man in the pits and he was helping. Pushing us and keeping an eye on things, to help keep the team spirit going.
“There is always pressure! Especially on me and Nicholls in the final two heats to clinch the win. Luckily it paid off at the end. The gate positions we had were good, so that did favour us and that was a little bit of help. That’s what we’re there for, to take the pressure.”
It may not have been the 20,000 fans that Gorzow had for Round 1 of the Speedway World Cup, but for a Monday night event being featured live on television, around 5,000 fans made their way to Kings Lynn to support the British team and certainly got their money’s worth with the perfect result.
“The atmosphere was great. The fans really got behind us and they were our extra man tonight, they really lifted us. Everytime I went out at the start, I could see the flags flying and they were backing us all the way.”
The result may have been to the likening of the majority of the supporters but for the first 15 heats, most of the racing was largely processional. It appeared to liven up only for the remaining 10 heats once there were more lines to ride on the track.
“The track wasn’t the best I’ve ever ridden but it did get better as the night went on. It did get slick towards the end, but we managed to work it to our advantage as we became stronger and we got the job done.”
However, anyone present at the Norfolk Arena may also remember the night for more disturbing reasons. A very unwelcome swarm of greenfly which seemed to encompass the whole stadium. Luckily it didn’t seem to affect ‘Bomber’ too much on the track and with his preparations.
“The swarm of flies didn’t really affect us, luckily we had our goggles!”
The Vastervik star also had a lucky miss when he there was a problem with the starting tapes that nearly interfered with his helmet whilst leading.
“I was quite surprised when I came around after my first lap and I saw the tape dangling in front of me. I just tried to stay out of the way of it!”
Now the Team GB side have four days to wait before the final of the Speedway World Cup competition. Plenty of time to check out their competition?
“The whole team are flying out Wednesday night as that was what was originally booked. We will go there and watch the practice. We will try and pick up some tips on the track and set-up. Then I think we will just relax really and maintain the excellent team spirit.”
After a successful night’s work, the talk after was still about whether there would be any rider changes for the final.
“I think Danny King is coming to the practice with us and then Rob Lyon will make his decision. It’s hard to take somebody out of the team after tonight when everyone rode well. I’m sure whatever decision Rob will make, the team will support it and we will just continue as we are.”
Finally, after beating the confident Aussies, how does the Cornwall born star rate his chances for his side lifting the trophy in Vojens?
“We have been in the race-off the last three years so it’s really nice to miss it this year and go automatically to the final. It’s going to be tough in the race-off but I think Denmark in their own country will be hard to beat and I think probably the Aussies will just squeeze it in the race off. We can beat anyone on the day. A bit of bad luck on their part and good luck on ours and who knows!”
It was a marvellous night for Team Great Britain at a packed out Norfolk Arena in Kings Lynn on Monday at Round 2 of the Speedway World Cup. It was a titanic tussle between the host nation Team Great GB and a young Australian side that featured many ex Kings Lynn riders.
After Simon Stead was excluded for Tea, GB in heat 23, it looked as though the side may not win the meeting and the final two heats were the decider for victory on the night. Wins from GP star Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls, sent the Brits’ straight through to Saturday’s final in Vojens. Denmark and sent a large crowd home very happy. Leandra Graves spoke to the Coventry star after the awesome display to see how pleased he was with the team’s performance.
“Yes I’m really happy. The team manager was really good tonight and the five of us got together and rode as a team. Danny King was there as the extra man in the pits and he was helping. Pushing us and keeping an eye on things, to help keep the team spirit going.
“There is always pressure! Especially on me and Nicholls in the final two heats to clinch the win. Luckily it paid off at the end. The gate positions we had were good, so that did favour us and that was a little bit of help. That’s what we’re there for, to take the pressure.”
It may not have been the 20,000 fans that Gorzow had for Round 1 of the Speedway World Cup, but for a Monday night event being featured live on television, around 5,000 fans made their way to Kings Lynn to support the British team and certainly got their money’s worth with the perfect result.
“The atmosphere was great. The fans really got behind us and they were our extra man tonight, they really lifted us. Everytime I went out at the start, I could see the flags flying and they were backing us all the way.”
The result may have been to the likening of the majority of the supporters but for the first 15 heats, most of the racing was largely processional. It appeared to liven up only for the remaining 10 heats once there were more lines to ride on the track.
“The track wasn’t the best I’ve ever ridden but it did get better as the night went on. It did get slick towards the end, but we managed to work it to our advantage as we became stronger and we got the job done.”
However, anyone present at the Norfolk Arena may also remember the night for more disturbing reasons. A very unwelcome swarm of greenfly which seemed to encompass the whole stadium. Luckily it didn’t seem to affect ‘Bomber’ too much on the track and with his preparations.
“The swarm of flies didn’t really affect us, luckily we had our goggles!”
The Vastervik star also had a lucky miss when he there was a problem with the starting tapes that nearly interfered with his helmet whilst leading.
“I was quite surprised when I came around after my first lap and I saw the tape dangling in front of me. I just tried to stay out of the way of it!”
Now the Team GB side have four days to wait before the final of the Speedway World Cup competition. Plenty of time to check out their competition?
“The whole team are flying out Wednesday night as that was what was originally booked. We will go there and watch the practice. We will try and pick up some tips on the track and set-up. Then I think we will just relax really and maintain the excellent team spirit.”
After a successful night’s work, the talk after was still about whether there would be any rider changes for the final.
“I think Danny King is coming to the practice with us and then Rob Lyon will make his decision. It’s hard to take somebody out of the team after tonight when everyone rode well. I’m sure whatever decision Rob will make, the team will support it and we will just continue as we are.”
Finally, after beating the confident Aussies, how does the Cornwall born star rate his chances for his side lifting the trophy in Vojens?
“We have been in the race-off the last three years so it’s really nice to miss it this year and go automatically to the final. It’s going to be tough in the race-off but I think Denmark in their own country will be hard to beat and I think probably the Aussies will just squeeze it in the race off. We can beat anyone on the day. A bit of bad luck on their part and good luck on ours and who knows!”
Zorro: Speedway is easy when I gate!
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_13378.shtml
It may not have been the successful night the Swedes were hoping for at Kings Lynn on Monday in Round 2 of the Speedway World Cup bit it did feature 38 year old Magnus Zetterstrom making his World Cup debut in the sport.
After scoring four points on the night (dropping three points when leading in his first race and retiring almost on the line) how was he feeling after seeing his side finishing third on the night behind Great Britain and Australia? Leandra Graves caught up with the GP rider after the event.
“I’m happy that we qualified in the end but I feel a bit in two minds. We didn’t have the best start to the night. After the race was rerun in heat 1, Lindgren was excluded. Then I broke down when the chain snapped whilst in the lead, so we could have asked for a bit better start. I think overall we need to be happy because it could have been much worse. Now we know are in the race off. So if we couldn’t win, the main thing was to qualify for Thursday. We know only one team could qualify at Kings Lynn. To beat England or Australia, we needed a better start than we made today. We were missing one more rider to be scoring big points.”
I didn’t change my bike after my first ride. After my chain had broken, we fixed everything but as everyone knows in sport, a lot of it’s the mental side of things. After you have been leading and made such a good start, its tough to come back but I just need to look forward. If I had picked up the heat win, I would have scored 7 points on the night. That is a small difference to say whether I’m happy or not happy.”
Lakeside star Jonas Davidsson was a late addition to the Swedihs national side after GP star Andreas Jonsson declared himself unfit to race. However, Davidsson proved to be the best Swede on show scoring 14 points! Was the Gdansk star surprided that Davidsson had not originally been called up?
“Everyone knows he should have been put in the team from the beginning. I can only answer how I know the team manager was looking at it. It was to do with his injury. After that, he came back to race a few meetings and he didn’t score points. You can’t live on old history. Then all of a sudden he turned it around to score points. I guess you could say he was lucky but unlucky that AJ got injured so he could come back to this side. He belongs to this team. Comparing league averages, he’s much higher than me, Antonio etc, so I’m sure there were a few people who did question why he hadn’t been selected in the team. The only answer is from looking at the current form. I’m glad to see Jonas was doing so well. He’s one of the top riders in Sweden so he should definitely be here.”
Facing tough opposition in the race-off, Sweden will be hoping the Bydgoszcz star if ok to return to the saddle to help the chances of them progressing through to Saturday’s elusive final.
“It’s too early to say whether AJ will be back for Thursday’s race-off. We will contact him but the doctor has said one week’s break. Fingers crossed he can ride but we don’t want him to ride not 100% fit. Maybe those few days have done him good.” It has since been announced he’s fine to ride in the race-off.
The Swedish team will face Denmark on home soil in Vojens who were World Cup Champions in 2008 – does Zorro believe they can join Poland Great Britain in the final?
“It’s going to be a really tough one. In that sort of meeting it’s going to be different. In this event we had Finland who we could take points from, but in Vojens you need to score in every race, zero points isn’t acceptable. That’s not going to be easy against Russia, Australia and Denmark. We will see, if we can get the team going and be a bit stronger then I’m sure we can make it.”
The previous Poole rider admits Vojens isn’t a track he’s too familiar with.
“Vojens isn’t a track I really know. Last time I rode there, I believe I was still a junior rider. So it was years ago! We get a good chance though to get things right at practice so I think I will be ok.”
Many other teams will be looking at rotating their squad for Thursday and Saturday, will Sweden be the same (AJ will return of course)?
“We will definitely be keeping as a team in the lead up to the race off. If we can find another rider for the team, we will change the side, but the team that has ridden here at the Norfolk Arena will stick together in Denmark at the event. Everybody is still part of this.”
Zorro has been a surprise to amny this season with some wonderful GP performances. A fourth place in Prague has been the best display so far and there was also a superb result in Gothenburg when he made the semi-finals. Being one of the oldest riders in the sport, it seem’s that he is maturing like a fine wine and proving the best is still yet to come!
“If I can gate like I did in my first heat, then I find speedway very easy. I might not fight as hard as the youngsters when I get behind, but I’m really pleased for how the GP series has gone and also how the rest of my season has been going. I’m just going to try and keep it up now for the remainder of the year. I want to make something good out of this world team cup. The next GP in August in Malilla, it would be nice to do something good at my home track with the fans behind me. It will be great if that can happen.”
Zorro’s press officer and close friend, Ola Lindholm had suffered a freak accident in the past week with news still to reach us of his condition. Zorro is hoping for good news of his friend soon and to make sure Sweden are successful in this very important World Cup week.
It may not have been the successful night the Swedes were hoping for at Kings Lynn on Monday in Round 2 of the Speedway World Cup bit it did feature 38 year old Magnus Zetterstrom making his World Cup debut in the sport.
After scoring four points on the night (dropping three points when leading in his first race and retiring almost on the line) how was he feeling after seeing his side finishing third on the night behind Great Britain and Australia? Leandra Graves caught up with the GP rider after the event.
“I’m happy that we qualified in the end but I feel a bit in two minds. We didn’t have the best start to the night. After the race was rerun in heat 1, Lindgren was excluded. Then I broke down when the chain snapped whilst in the lead, so we could have asked for a bit better start. I think overall we need to be happy because it could have been much worse. Now we know are in the race off. So if we couldn’t win, the main thing was to qualify for Thursday. We know only one team could qualify at Kings Lynn. To beat England or Australia, we needed a better start than we made today. We were missing one more rider to be scoring big points.”
I didn’t change my bike after my first ride. After my chain had broken, we fixed everything but as everyone knows in sport, a lot of it’s the mental side of things. After you have been leading and made such a good start, its tough to come back but I just need to look forward. If I had picked up the heat win, I would have scored 7 points on the night. That is a small difference to say whether I’m happy or not happy.”
Lakeside star Jonas Davidsson was a late addition to the Swedihs national side after GP star Andreas Jonsson declared himself unfit to race. However, Davidsson proved to be the best Swede on show scoring 14 points! Was the Gdansk star surprided that Davidsson had not originally been called up?
“Everyone knows he should have been put in the team from the beginning. I can only answer how I know the team manager was looking at it. It was to do with his injury. After that, he came back to race a few meetings and he didn’t score points. You can’t live on old history. Then all of a sudden he turned it around to score points. I guess you could say he was lucky but unlucky that AJ got injured so he could come back to this side. He belongs to this team. Comparing league averages, he’s much higher than me, Antonio etc, so I’m sure there were a few people who did question why he hadn’t been selected in the team. The only answer is from looking at the current form. I’m glad to see Jonas was doing so well. He’s one of the top riders in Sweden so he should definitely be here.”
Facing tough opposition in the race-off, Sweden will be hoping the Bydgoszcz star if ok to return to the saddle to help the chances of them progressing through to Saturday’s elusive final.
“It’s too early to say whether AJ will be back for Thursday’s race-off. We will contact him but the doctor has said one week’s break. Fingers crossed he can ride but we don’t want him to ride not 100% fit. Maybe those few days have done him good.” It has since been announced he’s fine to ride in the race-off.
The Swedish team will face Denmark on home soil in Vojens who were World Cup Champions in 2008 – does Zorro believe they can join Poland Great Britain in the final?
“It’s going to be a really tough one. In that sort of meeting it’s going to be different. In this event we had Finland who we could take points from, but in Vojens you need to score in every race, zero points isn’t acceptable. That’s not going to be easy against Russia, Australia and Denmark. We will see, if we can get the team going and be a bit stronger then I’m sure we can make it.”
The previous Poole rider admits Vojens isn’t a track he’s too familiar with.
“Vojens isn’t a track I really know. Last time I rode there, I believe I was still a junior rider. So it was years ago! We get a good chance though to get things right at practice so I think I will be ok.”
Many other teams will be looking at rotating their squad for Thursday and Saturday, will Sweden be the same (AJ will return of course)?
“We will definitely be keeping as a team in the lead up to the race off. If we can find another rider for the team, we will change the side, but the team that has ridden here at the Norfolk Arena will stick together in Denmark at the event. Everybody is still part of this.”
Zorro has been a surprise to amny this season with some wonderful GP performances. A fourth place in Prague has been the best display so far and there was also a superb result in Gothenburg when he made the semi-finals. Being one of the oldest riders in the sport, it seem’s that he is maturing like a fine wine and proving the best is still yet to come!
“If I can gate like I did in my first heat, then I find speedway very easy. I might not fight as hard as the youngsters when I get behind, but I’m really pleased for how the GP series has gone and also how the rest of my season has been going. I’m just going to try and keep it up now for the remainder of the year. I want to make something good out of this world team cup. The next GP in August in Malilla, it would be nice to do something good at my home track with the fans behind me. It will be great if that can happen.”
Zorro’s press officer and close friend, Ola Lindholm had suffered a freak accident in the past week with news still to reach us of his condition. Zorro is hoping for good news of his friend soon and to make sure Sweden are successful in this very important World Cup week.
My interview for Panthers TV/Clean Cut Sports with Kenneth Bjerre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RQDNvxEJDk
My interview with Peterborough Panthers rider and SGP star Kenneth Bjerre, for http://www.cleancutsports.com/ and http://www.peterboroughspeedway.co.uk/
My interview with Peterborough Panthers rider and SGP star Kenneth Bjerre, for http://www.cleancutsports.com/ and http://www.peterboroughspeedway.co.uk/
SGP: Hungry Harris eats away at the top 8
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_14142.shtml
The penultimate 2010 Speedway Grand Prix took place in Terenzano, Italy and was definitely one to remember.
The forecasts had predicted heavy rain but luckily the sun shone long enough to see an action packed meeting with a new world champion crowned! The moment Poland had been waiting for, Tomasz Gollob secured his first ever world title in speedway much to the delight of the passionate and devoted fans who had travelled to Italy to cheer on their hero.
The night will also be remembered for an impressive performance from Britain’s Chris Harris. After a slow start to this season’s GP season, Bomber has turned his season around and come alive. A second place finish in Croatia propelled the Coventry rider back amongst the top 8 and Italy was to prove a happy hunting ground for the winner of the 2007 Cardiff GP.
The semi-final was a nail biting affair with what appeared a dead-heat with Harris and Jarek Hampel. However, the Polish referee, awarded second to the Brit’ which booked him his place in the final. Harris produced an awesome ride in the final and certainly made the new champion work for his money in the last heat but he was unable to claim top step on the podium. Second place on the night was a fantastic achievement for the man from Cornwall and established him in a comfortable 7th place in the standings with one round left.
There had been much talk about the 27 year old having to wait for a wildcard to obtain a place in the 2011 series but it looks like the Cornishman has done his talking on the track and provided a surprise to his critics.
This season has seen the likeable Vastervik rider take the British championship yet again, as well as leading his Elite League club to the final of the play-offs. After a turbulent start to the Bees’ season, Bomber has been an inspirational captain and helped turn their fortunes around.
The change in track conditions in the GP’s has also suited Bomber’s riding styles as now the tracks are less slick, there are more lines for passing and to gain grip on the outside. It has also been noted he has improved his gating technique, he has always been known in the past for not being the sharpest away from the tapes, but recent results have shown he is seemingly getting to grips with this.
2011 is looking bright for this young man…
The penultimate 2010 Speedway Grand Prix took place in Terenzano, Italy and was definitely one to remember.
The forecasts had predicted heavy rain but luckily the sun shone long enough to see an action packed meeting with a new world champion crowned! The moment Poland had been waiting for, Tomasz Gollob secured his first ever world title in speedway much to the delight of the passionate and devoted fans who had travelled to Italy to cheer on their hero.
The night will also be remembered for an impressive performance from Britain’s Chris Harris. After a slow start to this season’s GP season, Bomber has turned his season around and come alive. A second place finish in Croatia propelled the Coventry rider back amongst the top 8 and Italy was to prove a happy hunting ground for the winner of the 2007 Cardiff GP.
The semi-final was a nail biting affair with what appeared a dead-heat with Harris and Jarek Hampel. However, the Polish referee, awarded second to the Brit’ which booked him his place in the final. Harris produced an awesome ride in the final and certainly made the new champion work for his money in the last heat but he was unable to claim top step on the podium. Second place on the night was a fantastic achievement for the man from Cornwall and established him in a comfortable 7th place in the standings with one round left.
There had been much talk about the 27 year old having to wait for a wildcard to obtain a place in the 2011 series but it looks like the Cornishman has done his talking on the track and provided a surprise to his critics.
This season has seen the likeable Vastervik rider take the British championship yet again, as well as leading his Elite League club to the final of the play-offs. After a turbulent start to the Bees’ season, Bomber has been an inspirational captain and helped turn their fortunes around.
The change in track conditions in the GP’s has also suited Bomber’s riding styles as now the tracks are less slick, there are more lines for passing and to gain grip on the outside. It has also been noted he has improved his gating technique, he has always been known in the past for not being the sharpest away from the tapes, but recent results have shown he is seemingly getting to grips with this.
2011 is looking bright for this young man…
SGP - Holta: The Forgotten Man...
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_13638.shtml
He was in 6th place in the world rankings for 2010 before the GP circus arrived to Malilla, Sweden. He’d scored more points than Nicki Pedersen, Hans Andersen, Andreas Jonsson and Greg Hancock to name but a few.
However, this man’s had been the forgotten rider of the GP series so far! Rune Holta, riding under the Polish license, has quietly been putting in good performances. He may not receive all the attention and media hype, but the points he has picked up have been vital to maintaining a solid top 8 position. Yes, he may have slipped under the radar until the summer break but now he’s made an impact.
He arrived to his home track of Dackarna in Sweden for the next round of the GP series. Tomasz Gollob and Jarek Hampel were living up to their reputation ion the championship by proving to be the men to beat early on, but the Czestochowa rider was the man on fire in the final. Beating triple world champion, Jason Crump and the new championship leader, Gollob. A nice treat for him was also bagging 20 points!
This fantastic victory has now moved him up to fourth in the standings. He must surely be eyeing at least a bronze medal in the championship of his rich vein of form continues. Holta was of course part of the successful Polish team that claimed gold in the Speedway World Cup in July. He’s riding on the crest of a wave! Holta admits he has his eye on a medal and his aim is a top three in the final standings. He may make it a Polish one, two, three at this rate!
Holta of course qualified for the 2010 GP series by finishing 7th in last year’s series and then had doubts whether he would take up his place for this season’s GP. After much debate the 36 year old, decided not to relinquish his hard earned GP spot and has been scoring consistently through-put, if not spectacular.
A positive start to this year’s campaign saw him take 10 points in his home round in Leszno, Poland. With a string of around 6-7 points, he then was narrowly missing out on fighting through to the semi-finals. However, back in Poland, he was about to have his best performance so far this series with a 2nd place at Torun scoring a massive 19 points.
Cardiff was not a repeat of the sensational result he had a few weeks before, but still important, picking up a valuable 8 points on the night.
It seems Poland has been very kind to Holta, so he must be relishing grabbing some more when the SGP circus arrives at Bydgoszcz for the finale. Last year saw a superb performance by him at the final GP which secured his place in the top eight.
Holta also has the challenge of fighting to keep his Polish team from dropping to Division 1 when his club takes on Bydgoszcz in a relegation battle later in the few months. Can Holta continue to keep into the spotlight? We will find out in the next round in Croatia.
He was in 6th place in the world rankings for 2010 before the GP circus arrived to Malilla, Sweden. He’d scored more points than Nicki Pedersen, Hans Andersen, Andreas Jonsson and Greg Hancock to name but a few.
However, this man’s had been the forgotten rider of the GP series so far! Rune Holta, riding under the Polish license, has quietly been putting in good performances. He may not receive all the attention and media hype, but the points he has picked up have been vital to maintaining a solid top 8 position. Yes, he may have slipped under the radar until the summer break but now he’s made an impact.
He arrived to his home track of Dackarna in Sweden for the next round of the GP series. Tomasz Gollob and Jarek Hampel were living up to their reputation ion the championship by proving to be the men to beat early on, but the Czestochowa rider was the man on fire in the final. Beating triple world champion, Jason Crump and the new championship leader, Gollob. A nice treat for him was also bagging 20 points!
This fantastic victory has now moved him up to fourth in the standings. He must surely be eyeing at least a bronze medal in the championship of his rich vein of form continues. Holta was of course part of the successful Polish team that claimed gold in the Speedway World Cup in July. He’s riding on the crest of a wave! Holta admits he has his eye on a medal and his aim is a top three in the final standings. He may make it a Polish one, two, three at this rate!
Holta of course qualified for the 2010 GP series by finishing 7th in last year’s series and then had doubts whether he would take up his place for this season’s GP. After much debate the 36 year old, decided not to relinquish his hard earned GP spot and has been scoring consistently through-put, if not spectacular.
A positive start to this year’s campaign saw him take 10 points in his home round in Leszno, Poland. With a string of around 6-7 points, he then was narrowly missing out on fighting through to the semi-finals. However, back in Poland, he was about to have his best performance so far this series with a 2nd place at Torun scoring a massive 19 points.
Cardiff was not a repeat of the sensational result he had a few weeks before, but still important, picking up a valuable 8 points on the night.
It seems Poland has been very kind to Holta, so he must be relishing grabbing some more when the SGP circus arrives at Bydgoszcz for the finale. Last year saw a superb performance by him at the final GP which secured his place in the top eight.
Holta also has the challenge of fighting to keep his Polish team from dropping to Division 1 when his club takes on Bydgoszcz in a relegation battle later in the few months. Can Holta continue to keep into the spotlight? We will find out in the next round in Croatia.
Bjerre just needs a little luck...
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_13279.shtml
The start of the 2010 GP series must have been a dream come true for Kenneth Bjerre. Recording his debut win in Gothenburg, saw him rocket to the head of the standings.
Suddenly, all eyes were on the Dane and the talk was about whether the 26 year old could not just clinch further victories, but bag a championship title too.
The Peterborough racer was keep to play down any talk of winning the crown, repeatedly saying “It’s where I finish at the end that matters. It’s a long season. It’s nice to be leading now but I want to be leading after Bydgoszcz.”
Unfortunately, Torun was where his championship hopes came unstuck with scoring 4 points. It was worst result in his GP and even after the event, he and his team were baffled as to what had gone wrong for them that night.
Cardiff needed a big performance. However, in the lead-up to the event, he suffered a nasty injury to his knee whilst riding for the Panthers at Eastbourne. This was not what the Esbjerg man needed before the fifth GP.
The Wroclaw rider battled on though and scored 7 points on what must have been a disappointing night for him. However, he didn’t put his misfortune down to not being fully fit, he was left ruing a race with fellow Dane and ex Panther, Hans Andersen, which he believed cost him his place of making the semi-finals. It was also a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I shouldn’t have let Hans pass me in my first heat. I didn’t have the luck tonight with the draw. In the beginning of the meeting, I had the outside gates which no-one could make a start from.”
A below par peformance from the Slangerup rider has not diminished his hopes of still being crowned World Champion. Currently, Bjerre has slipped to fourth in the table, since a rostrum finish from Jason Crump has nipped him into 3rd place overall. Bjerre has a small advantage over new GP winner Chris Holder, Rune Holta and his fellow compatriots Nicki Pedersen and Andersen.
“I still believe I can be World Champion and I won’t give up until it’s no longer possible.”
It was the second half of the 2009 GP season that saw Bjerre come alive last season with three finals. The GP at Vojens will be one he will surely be eyeing for a potential victory in front of his home supporters. He also has the small matter of the Speedway World Cup to be raced at Vojens and he and his Danish team-mates will be looking to reclaim the silverware from the Polish contingent!
The start of the 2010 GP series must have been a dream come true for Kenneth Bjerre. Recording his debut win in Gothenburg, saw him rocket to the head of the standings.
Suddenly, all eyes were on the Dane and the talk was about whether the 26 year old could not just clinch further victories, but bag a championship title too.
The Peterborough racer was keep to play down any talk of winning the crown, repeatedly saying “It’s where I finish at the end that matters. It’s a long season. It’s nice to be leading now but I want to be leading after Bydgoszcz.”
Unfortunately, Torun was where his championship hopes came unstuck with scoring 4 points. It was worst result in his GP and even after the event, he and his team were baffled as to what had gone wrong for them that night.
Cardiff needed a big performance. However, in the lead-up to the event, he suffered a nasty injury to his knee whilst riding for the Panthers at Eastbourne. This was not what the Esbjerg man needed before the fifth GP.
The Wroclaw rider battled on though and scored 7 points on what must have been a disappointing night for him. However, he didn’t put his misfortune down to not being fully fit, he was left ruing a race with fellow Dane and ex Panther, Hans Andersen, which he believed cost him his place of making the semi-finals. It was also a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I shouldn’t have let Hans pass me in my first heat. I didn’t have the luck tonight with the draw. In the beginning of the meeting, I had the outside gates which no-one could make a start from.”
A below par peformance from the Slangerup rider has not diminished his hopes of still being crowned World Champion. Currently, Bjerre has slipped to fourth in the table, since a rostrum finish from Jason Crump has nipped him into 3rd place overall. Bjerre has a small advantage over new GP winner Chris Holder, Rune Holta and his fellow compatriots Nicki Pedersen and Andersen.
“I still believe I can be World Champion and I won’t give up until it’s no longer possible.”
It was the second half of the 2009 GP season that saw Bjerre come alive last season with three finals. The GP at Vojens will be one he will surely be eyeing for a potential victory in front of his home supporters. He also has the small matter of the Speedway World Cup to be raced at Vojens and he and his Danish team-mates will be looking to reclaim the silverware from the Polish contingent!
Handbags at Dawn in Cardiff SGP
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_13278.shtml
The Speedway Grand Prix at Cardiff always brings that extra something. 2007 saw Chris Harris take his maiden win, an incredible achievement.
Then there was the year Tony Rickardsson famously rode “the wall of death” as he remarkably kept control his bike as he rode the fence! 2009 saw the bust up between Emil Sayfutdinov and Scott Nicholls which really sent the crowd into a frenzy.
What would 2010 bring? Luckily, a bit more of the same, this time we were nearly treated to two boxing matches! Ding Ding! Round 1 saw the match up between two Aussies, current World Champion, Jason Crump and newly emerging star, Chris Holder.
The relationship between the two had always been extremely positive with Crump being very supportive to the 22 year old and seemingly giving him his words of wisdom. After a “slight” clash between the two, Holder’s adrenalin was pumping and the anger towards his fellow compatriot was clear to see. A war of words erupted between the two whilst on their way back to the pits. No punches were thrown but clearly the Poole star was antagonised with the actions of the elder statesmen.
The two met again in the final of the illustrious GP at the Millenium stadium, this time Holder having the last laugh with taking his first victory. Crump was the first rider there to celebrate with the Torun rider and it was a nice moment to see. Holder was quick to apologise in the press conference for his actions, whilst Crump simply said “Chris had his skirt on and I had my handbag” laughing off the argument they had shared. The triple world champion’s body language perhaps showed signs of regret after the GP with being involved in this type of behaviour. Perhaps, the actions were more expected of Holder with being a newcomer to the series and more hot-headed, but it was surprising to see Crump caught up in the heat of the moment.
Round 2 saw a titanic fight between the two Danes, Nicki Pedersen and Hans Andersen. There is history between these two. Neither rider is perhaps achieving what they expect of themselves and are both being outshined by Kenneth Bjerre this season. After a close tussle in their heat, the Belle Vue star, got the better of the 2008 World Champion and on the final lap, Andersen gave the finger to his fellow Dane down the back straight. He then appeared to enjoy goading Pedersen across the line. This was something not picked up by the Sky cameras. As ever, the Gorzow star is normally at the centre of controversy and is portrayed at the pantomime villain, but on this occasion, I felt he was treated a tad harshly by Mr Andersen and by the spectators. Infact, I thought it was a fairly mature reaction by the 30 year old not to get involved in anything too physical after the encounter on track. He chose to have words face to face, helmets off. The old Nicki Pedersen may have found himself in more trouble but I was pleasantly surprised not to see it all kick off so to speak.
The Millenium stadium seems to stir up more emotions each year with the riders performing on the biggest stage in the sport. It certainly gives the fans a special treat and it was good to see no harm was caused in either incident with the Odense born rider later saying “Me and Nicki were just discussing sending each other Christmas cards”. Let’s see what 2011 brings!
The Speedway Grand Prix at Cardiff always brings that extra something. 2007 saw Chris Harris take his maiden win, an incredible achievement.
Then there was the year Tony Rickardsson famously rode “the wall of death” as he remarkably kept control his bike as he rode the fence! 2009 saw the bust up between Emil Sayfutdinov and Scott Nicholls which really sent the crowd into a frenzy.
What would 2010 bring? Luckily, a bit more of the same, this time we were nearly treated to two boxing matches! Ding Ding! Round 1 saw the match up between two Aussies, current World Champion, Jason Crump and newly emerging star, Chris Holder.
The relationship between the two had always been extremely positive with Crump being very supportive to the 22 year old and seemingly giving him his words of wisdom. After a “slight” clash between the two, Holder’s adrenalin was pumping and the anger towards his fellow compatriot was clear to see. A war of words erupted between the two whilst on their way back to the pits. No punches were thrown but clearly the Poole star was antagonised with the actions of the elder statesmen.
The two met again in the final of the illustrious GP at the Millenium stadium, this time Holder having the last laugh with taking his first victory. Crump was the first rider there to celebrate with the Torun rider and it was a nice moment to see. Holder was quick to apologise in the press conference for his actions, whilst Crump simply said “Chris had his skirt on and I had my handbag” laughing off the argument they had shared. The triple world champion’s body language perhaps showed signs of regret after the GP with being involved in this type of behaviour. Perhaps, the actions were more expected of Holder with being a newcomer to the series and more hot-headed, but it was surprising to see Crump caught up in the heat of the moment.
Round 2 saw a titanic fight between the two Danes, Nicki Pedersen and Hans Andersen. There is history between these two. Neither rider is perhaps achieving what they expect of themselves and are both being outshined by Kenneth Bjerre this season. After a close tussle in their heat, the Belle Vue star, got the better of the 2008 World Champion and on the final lap, Andersen gave the finger to his fellow Dane down the back straight. He then appeared to enjoy goading Pedersen across the line. This was something not picked up by the Sky cameras. As ever, the Gorzow star is normally at the centre of controversy and is portrayed at the pantomime villain, but on this occasion, I felt he was treated a tad harshly by Mr Andersen and by the spectators. Infact, I thought it was a fairly mature reaction by the 30 year old not to get involved in anything too physical after the encounter on track. He chose to have words face to face, helmets off. The old Nicki Pedersen may have found himself in more trouble but I was pleasantly surprised not to see it all kick off so to speak.
The Millenium stadium seems to stir up more emotions each year with the riders performing on the biggest stage in the sport. It certainly gives the fans a special treat and it was good to see no harm was caused in either incident with the Odense born rider later saying “Me and Nicki were just discussing sending each other Christmas cards”. Let’s see what 2011 brings!
Holder: I am speechless!
After the biggest moment of his career, realisation has yet to sink in for Chris Holder. After standing victorious at the Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, in front of 40,000 passionate fans, the moment he had dreamt of since childhood, had finally become reality.
The talk before the series had featured on what could this young Australian do? Exciting and fearless, it seemed he was likely to step up and be considered a contender for the top 8. After the accident in Torun where at first, it appeared he had a broken arm, it looked like he may lose serious points in the championship. However, a typical tough Aussie, he battled on and achieved more than many people expected at only his fifth GP!
A special moment for the 22 year old, watched on by his family. Unfortunately the celebrations that night were not going to be legendary, with a Polish fixture the following day!
He appeared lost for words in the post meeting conference and it was left to the elder statesmen, Jason Crump to do all the talking! It was nice however, to see a rider so ecstatic with taking his maiden victory as he said “I never wanted to leave the track, I could have stayed doing wheelies all night.”
The happiness amongst the whole SGP paddock was clear to see with so many riders joining in the celebrations and congratulations after the meeting. Clearly, a very popular winner and great for the sport too.
A week after the event at a vital fixture for his club Poole, in Elite League action at Peterborough, he said, I’m not back to earth yet. It was such a big night for me. I still shake my head when I’m reminded now. I just want to make sure I stay in the top 8, be consistent and move on from Cardiff. It can be so easy to drop back down the table so I mustn’t let that happen.”
He admits he was bowled over by the fanatical support in the GP. There may have been no Brits’ to cheer on in the rostrum but the noise when Holder crossed the line, was electrifying. “The crowd went crazy. It was awesome. I was so lucky to have my first win there.”
Holder thinks Gollob has the edge on this year’s title chase. “The points are still close, though Hampel and Gollob have edged away at the top. Both the Poles are so good but Gollob has ridden unbelievable in the GP’s as well as the Polish league. Hopefully, for him and his army of fans in Poland, he will win the championship, he deserves it.”
Now there is the summer break in speedway from the GP’s and attention moves to the annual world cup event. The Aussies will be racing at the Norfolk Arena, Kings Lynn against home favourites Team GB! They will be without their leader Jason Crump and also ex GP star Leigh Adams.
“I’ve not rode at Kings Lynn for two years. We will miss our two big guns. Just us young ones will have to go out and do the job. I don’t feel there will be so much pressure on us. We will just enjoy it. Without the World Champion riding in our team, we are the underdogs, so we will have a go.”
Holder will be racing alongside best friends and Poole stars, Darcy Ward and Dave Watt along with Peterborough stars Troy Batchelor and Rory Schlein. This surely will be an entertaining event with plenty at stake to reach the final in Vojens, Denmark.
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_13277.shtml
The talk before the series had featured on what could this young Australian do? Exciting and fearless, it seemed he was likely to step up and be considered a contender for the top 8. After the accident in Torun where at first, it appeared he had a broken arm, it looked like he may lose serious points in the championship. However, a typical tough Aussie, he battled on and achieved more than many people expected at only his fifth GP!
A special moment for the 22 year old, watched on by his family. Unfortunately the celebrations that night were not going to be legendary, with a Polish fixture the following day!
He appeared lost for words in the post meeting conference and it was left to the elder statesmen, Jason Crump to do all the talking! It was nice however, to see a rider so ecstatic with taking his maiden victory as he said “I never wanted to leave the track, I could have stayed doing wheelies all night.”
The happiness amongst the whole SGP paddock was clear to see with so many riders joining in the celebrations and congratulations after the meeting. Clearly, a very popular winner and great for the sport too.
A week after the event at a vital fixture for his club Poole, in Elite League action at Peterborough, he said, I’m not back to earth yet. It was such a big night for me. I still shake my head when I’m reminded now. I just want to make sure I stay in the top 8, be consistent and move on from Cardiff. It can be so easy to drop back down the table so I mustn’t let that happen.”
He admits he was bowled over by the fanatical support in the GP. There may have been no Brits’ to cheer on in the rostrum but the noise when Holder crossed the line, was electrifying. “The crowd went crazy. It was awesome. I was so lucky to have my first win there.”
Holder thinks Gollob has the edge on this year’s title chase. “The points are still close, though Hampel and Gollob have edged away at the top. Both the Poles are so good but Gollob has ridden unbelievable in the GP’s as well as the Polish league. Hopefully, for him and his army of fans in Poland, he will win the championship, he deserves it.”
Now there is the summer break in speedway from the GP’s and attention moves to the annual world cup event. The Aussies will be racing at the Norfolk Arena, Kings Lynn against home favourites Team GB! They will be without their leader Jason Crump and also ex GP star Leigh Adams.
“I’ve not rode at Kings Lynn for two years. We will miss our two big guns. Just us young ones will have to go out and do the job. I don’t feel there will be so much pressure on us. We will just enjoy it. Without the World Champion riding in our team, we are the underdogs, so we will have a go.”
Holder will be racing alongside best friends and Poole stars, Darcy Ward and Dave Watt along with Peterborough stars Troy Batchelor and Rory Schlein. This surely will be an entertaining event with plenty at stake to reach the final in Vojens, Denmark.
http://www.worldspeedway.com/artman/publish/article_13277.shtml
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