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Tai Woffinden Best Ever!?

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1 hour ago, lucifer sam said:

Ivan Mauger missed riding for New Zealand for four successive seasons in the World Team Cup.  He came back into the competition in 1979 in great style, inspiring his team-mates to win the competition.

 

Didn't Nielsen refuse to ride for Denmark?

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30 minutes ago, chunky said:

Didn't Nielsen refuse to ride for Denmark?

Ole Olsen who was manager of Denmark due to a 'confict of interests'. Erik Gundersen after he was forced to retire admitted that there were problems and it wasn't right that Olsen was Erik's personal advisor/manager and also team manager of the national side thereby causing diversions. The incident that readily comes to mind was the occasion that Hans and Erik were chosen as Pairs partners for Denmark but Olsen decread that he and Erik were in a different hotel to Hans.

Edited by steve roberts
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A number of riders have had disagreements.Wiggy I think entered the world championships through the continental rounds rather than the British rounds when riding on a foreign license

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Just now, iris123 said:

A number of riders have had disagreements.Wiggy I think entered the world championships through the continental rounds rather than the British rounds when riding on a foreign license

He took out a Dutch License and I remember Marvyn Cox riding under German license. I think Andy Smith had a Polish one at one time?

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2 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

He took out a Dutch License and I remember Marvyn Cox riding under German license. I think Andy Smith had a Polish one at one time?

Plus I think a number of Russians have refused to ride in recent times 

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I wouldn't necessarily say Tai is the best British rider ever...

But I'd definitely put him in the Top One...;)

(Apologies to Brian Clough)...B)

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4 minutes ago, mikebv said:

I wouldn't necessarily say Tai is the best British rider ever...

But I'd definitely put him in the Top One...;)

(Apologies to Brian Clough)...B)

 I would certainly class him as better than that clown Tomaszewski... :t:

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44 minutes ago, chunky said:

Three World Championships, plus a second and a third. More than any other British rider. In a six year period.

A superb performance in the Speedway of Nations final. Far more impressive than PC's three WTC maximums against largely inferior opponents.

I'm so sorry Tai didn't win the Internationale, Brandonapolis, Superama, Yorkshire TV Trophy, Golden Hammer etc...

Steve

Yes, three WTC winning maximums,equalling Tai's three individual. As we all know, one can only beat what is put in front you.

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Just now, one of clubs said:

Yes, three WTC winning maximums,equalling Tai's three individual. As we all know, one can only beat what is put in front you.

And Tai has done that more often. Thanks for clarifying.

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44 minutes ago, chunky said:

Didn't Nielsen refuse to ride for Denmark?

 

29 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Ole Olsen who was manager of Denmark due to a 'confict of interests'. Erik Gundersen after he was forced to retire admitted that there were problems and it wasn't right that Olsen was Erik's personal advisor/manager and also team manager of the national side thereby causing diversions. The incident that readily comes to mind was the occasion that Hans and Erik were chosen as Pairs partners for Denmark but Olsen decread that he and Erik were in a different hotel to Hans.

Although it should be pointed out that Nielsen and Olsen agreed a truce to allow Nielsen to ride in the 1985 World Team Cup Final in the USA.  That's the thing - the Danes would argue amongst themselves, but always pulled together when they needed to.  They wouldn't let it stopping them winning Gold Medals! 

 

Edited by lucifer sam
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6 hours ago, Grachan said:

Oh, definitely. But to win the meeting you had to win the final. It didn't matter how well you did in the other races as long as you stayed in.

A Nielsen/Gundersen final was by no means a cert for Hans, even if Erik had to go through eliminators to get there.

For example, Nielsen gets through every ride with a first or second. Gundersen has a bad night, scrapes through an eliminator due to another rider being excluded. Makes the final. Wins it. Gundersen gets more GP points the Nielsen.

 Does that tell you something that is not quite right ? the Gp series where it has evolved shows since it  was first started the scoring system has not always been right.

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1 minute ago, Sidney the robin said:

 Does that tell you something that is not quite right ? the Gp series where it has evolved shows since it  was first started the scoring system has not always been right.

Like someone scoring 9-10 every qualifying round then 14/15 in the World Final and being World Champ. Another rider could have scored more in every other round. Who was the best rider that year?

Another tick in favor of the current system.

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4 hours ago, falcace said:

I think there is a lot of truth in that. 

Of the list I gave above earlier of those lost to the sport prematurely, the biggest imponderable is Dennis Sigalos. By 1983, I'd have had him, Nielsen and - for one final season - Lee as the world's best riders. But he never did get the chance to capitalise on his talent. From 84-89, Erik and Hans were undisputable 1 and 2. But I reckon a fit Sigalos would have been right in the mix.

 Spot on with Sigalos ,,1983 Carter , Lee, Sigalos, Sanders were all in the mix and within a few years they had gone.With those riders about no way would Hans/Erik  have won seven titles between them yes they were great but fate did play some part and that is forgetting Penhall as well who only retired in 1982.

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13 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

Like someone scoring 9-10 every qualifying round then 14/15 in the World Final and being World Champ. Another rider could have scored more in every other round. Who was the best rider that year?

Another tick in favor of the current system.

Was the system fair when Loram won it ( who i liked very much )  and some of  Rick's early title wins.? the thing NOBODY can prove is what was the worth of the oppposition you were  up against.

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4 hours ago, lucifer sam said:

Before Oxford moved up in 1984, Sigalos was my favourite of the top riders.  To me, Hans and Erik moved up a gear in 1983, moved up again in 1984, and moved up once more in 1985. I'm not sure if Dennis Sigalos would have been on quite the same level as the two Danes.

Well, you say that....

But he'd scored a maximum in the World Pairs, finished on a World Final rostrum, won the British Open in a run off v Nielsen (when it was a chunky £5k prize) and finished 1983 with a 10.75 average, second only to Nielsen. Beyond the achievements, he was a really classy stylish rider who looked at home on tracks big and small. Sad to think his career was done at 24. I think he had a heck of a lot more to give were it not for a knackered ankle.

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