British U21 Final, Coventry, 14/04/15

[JamieE 123]

Unlucky for Lambert after a maximum from his heats but congratulations to Howarth, very much deserved from what I saw of him with the Bees last year and how he's started this season. Hope this is just the start of bigger and better things for him and he can make the leap to become a fully fledged GB international rider. Certainly a rider not afraid to put it on the line and looked to grow in maturity on the bike as last season progressed too.

[whippy 100]

15 points and no one else on same score ?? Robert Lambert is the winner as far as I am concerned. I cannot understand why this stupid race off idea was ever started. You finish the meeting with the most points therefore in my eyes you are the champion. Rant over !!!

[phillipsr 2,053]

15 points and no one else on same score ?? Robert Lambert is the winner as far as I am concerned. I cannot understand why this stupid race off idea was ever started. You finish the meeting with the most points therefore in my eyes you are the champion. Rant over !!!

Except hes not!!! Feel for Robert though i do like a one off final brings a bit more excitement to a meeting

[waiheke1 4,295]

I agree five rides Lambert should of won the meeting, Lambert was a point better was 1.1head to head yet loses the meeting not right for me others will see it different.

tbf howarth "beat" lambert twice in the final after the first attempt was halted when he was leading. And if you include the final they scored 17 apiece.

if there is ti be a final i'd rather the points be added to the heat scores to determine the champ, with a tie being decided either by who finished higher in the final (in this case howarth would still be champ) or by a run off.

[Two minute warning 15]

Congratulations to Kyle Howarth.

Felt Robert Lambert was a tad unlucky but they are the rules of the competition.

[Gemini 4,894]

Such a shame that a rider could reel off five wins on the bounce, and still not be crowned champion. Semi's and finals have no place in a one off meeting imo. GP's are a different kettle of fish..

Agree. I hate the idea of a semi and final for a meeting like this when a rider can get five straight wins, but perhaps have a bad gate position in the final or get shoved out on the first bend and end up not being champion. However, after it was pointed out to me that it's Kyle's last chance whereas Robert has a few more years left I'm happy with the result. Well done to Kyle.

[Grachan 7,362]

15 points and no one else on same score ?? Robert Lambert is the winner as far as I am concerned. I cannot understand why this stupid race off idea was ever started. You finish the meeting with the most points therefore in my eyes you are the champion. Rant over !!!

Howarth and Lambert both had 6 rides. Both had 5 wins and 1 second place.

 

How is Lambert any more deserving?

 

Well done to both of them. Two bright British prospects from what we've seen so far this year.

[Countershaftcounter 360]

I think last year Ellis also finished on the highest number of points but came 2nd overall, it happens. Shame he wasn't there last night, I think he's have been in with a shout.

[g13webb 4,254]

Such a shame that a rider could reel off five wins on the bounce, and still not be crowned champion. Semi's and finals have no place in a one off meeting imo. GP's are a different kettle of fish..

 

My sentiments exactly.... Think of all the World Finals that could have gone to someone else, had they'd used this stupid idea...... It turns the whole occasion into a one race lottery.....

 

By adding semi-final and finals to the proceeding, the only advantage being done is giving the riders, who have dropped points during the meeting, another bite of the cherry. Why do they deserve another chance????? when the correct winner can only lose out........

 

If you race against another rider often enough you 're bound to win eventually................

[hagonshocker 1,956]

Riders know the rules before the meeting starts and you can provide the argument you do enough to reach the semi/final without taking that extra risk you leave for the nitty gritty at the end? So Lambert scored 15 in the main event but didnt quite do enough in both stagings of the final..he will learn from that...not the first time thats happened and wont be the last....it's not as if Howarth stuggled through on 9 or 10 is it like certain past winners??! well done Kyle overdue but in the nick of

[Bagpuss 10,780]

Howarth and Lambert both had 6 rides. Both had 5 wins and 1 second place.

 

How is Lambert any more deserving?

 

Well done to both of them. Two bright British prospects from what we've seen so far this year.

The idea I suppose is that once everybody has had five rides across twenty heats that should be that as in 'the old days' which as a point of view I can very much appreciate. However the argument for a final is much the same as that for Play Offs, ie bringing the meeting (season) to a grandstand finish. In terms of any of our lads making the world class grade perhaps having a final is a good habit for them as GP's have them. In some ways going through the card but missing out in the final might do Robert more good in the long run, he'll probably learn more from that than winning the final comfortably. Was still a great night for him and he can be more than pleased with his season so far.

[lucifer sam 3,953]

Well done to Kyle Howarth. He produced a very determined second bend in the re-run of the final and deserved to win. And that was after a heavy fall in Heat 20.

 

Meanwhile, hugely impressive performance from Robert Lambert. His ride to bid his time and then make his move on Howarth in Heat 5 was top drawer. He's not just fast, he's got a great racing brain too. I think he was the youngest rider on parade, but that didn't stop him from almost winning the thing. He's still got four years left to try to do that, and I have no doubts he will.

 

All the best

Rob

[arnieg 3,643]

Given Lambert and Howarth were a class above the rest of the field, and given that they met in heat one, then the meeting would have been effectively over at that point had there been no grand final to look forward to. Any last doubt would have been removed when Lambert won heat 17.

 

I like the mathematical symmetry of the 20 heat formula but the two extra heats work well for me.It also means more riders are still meaningfully in the competition for longer which can make for better racing.

[g13webb 4,254]

Riders know the rules before the meeting starts and you can provide the argument you do enough to reach the semi/final without taking that extra risk you leave for the nitty gritty at the end? So Lambert scored 15 in the main event but didnt quite do enough in both stagings of the final..he will learn from that...not the first time thats happened and wont be the last....it's not as if Howarth stuggled through on 9 or 10 is it like certain past winners??! well done Kyle overdue but in the nick of

 

I have no problems with Howarth winning or anybody else to that respect, but its the principal I think is wrong. Like you say someone could struggle through to the semi on 9 or 10 and win and that's what makes the process a joke. Like wise someone could be in the semis without even winning a race, and what a joke that would be.

 

Of course the riders know the rules before they start, but it doesn't make them right......... The fact Kyle won after scoring 14 pts in the main part of the meeting is fortunate that he was one of the best on show. Imagine the out roar had James Shanes won,........... and this process allows that to happen.....

[teddy2706 166]

Am I alone in thinking this meeting was processional to the point of tedium almost until the last few heats?

I think I have seen more boring races and meetings at Brandon than anywhere else over the last thirty odd years and last night, by and large was no exception.

 

This meeting would have been more exciting held at any other track in the country. That does not detract from the efforts of the riders in any way, but I would always hope to see close exciting racing for my money, with lots of passing, this was not the case last night.