Heat 01. Pedersen, Adams, Andersen, Nicholls
Heat 02. Hampel, Holta, Harris, Bjerre
Heat 03. Gollob, Ułamek, Lindgren, Sajfutdinov
Heat 04. Hancock, Crump, Jonsson, Walasek
Heat 05. Jonsson, Harris, Adams, Lindgren
Heat 06. Hancock, Sajfutdinov, Hampel, Andersen
Heat 07. Crump, Pedersen, Holta, Gollob (ef)
Heat 08. Ułamek, Bjerre, Walasek, Nicholls
Heat 09. Adams, Gollob, Walasek, Hampel
Heat 10. Crump, Andersen, Harris, Ułamek
Heat 11. Hancock, Bjerre, Pedersen, Lindgren
Heat 12. Jonsson, Sajfutdinov, Holta, Nicholls
Heat 13. Ułamek, Hancock, Holta, Adams
Heat 14. Gollob, Jonsson, Andersen, Bjerre
Heat 15. Sajfutdinov, Walasek, Harris, Pedersen (fx)
Heat 16. Hampel, Crump, Lindgren, Nicholls
Heat 17. Crump, Sajfutdinov, Bjerre, Adams (x)
Heat 18. Holta, Andersen, Walasek, Lindgren
Heat 19. Jonsson, Pedersen, Hampel, Ułamek
Heat 20. Gollob, Hancock, Nicholls, Harris
Semi-finals:
Heat 21. Hancock, Gollob, Hampel, Ułamek
Heat 22. Crump, Jonsson, Pedersen, Sajfutdinov
Final:
Heat 23. Crump, Gollob, Jonsson, Hancock |
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Normal order was restored in the second round of the FIM grand prix series on Saturday, as two-times world champion, Jason Crump took the chequered flag and the top step of the podium in Leszno, Poland. It was experience all the way in the final, with Tomasz Gollob (38-years-old), Andreas Jonsson (28) and Greg Hancock (38) following Crump (33) home.
Emil Sayfutdinov, the 19-year-old Russian rookie, who so spectacularly crashed the big boys party at the opening round in Prague, made it as far as the semi-finals, but as the tapes rose, Crump and Jonnson gated like scalded cats and were gone. That just left reigning world champion Nicki Pedersen to deal with, and, even carrying an injury, Pedersen had too much track-craft for the youngster on this occasion.
Still the young Russian had every right to be pleased with his night's work. He collected nine world championship points, survived a big coming-together with Pedersen earlier in the heats, again showed some blistering pace, as well as good race strategy, and also proved that he's as tough as he is fast. His day will come again, and soon.
Freddie Lindgren, the other party-crasher from Prague, didn't have such a good night, collecting just two points. It was also a night to forget for Britain's Scott Nicholls and Chris Harris, neither of who were really at the races – Nicholls particularly looking some way short of his best and still recovering from a virus.
Pedersen, who rode with a broken thumb on Saturday, should also be pleased with his nine-point haul, as it was touch-and-go as to whether he made the start. By the time they line up again, at the magnificent Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg in two weeks time, he should be back to full fitness, and that will provide a test for the rest of the field.
A fully-fit Nicki Pedersen is still the biggest beast in this particular jungle, and Gothenburg may well be the place where he re-establishes his dominance over the rest of the pack. |
