Who Can Be World Champion 2010 ?

[ballinger 32]

and if there is more dirt and grip around next season.

 

But there wont be.

 

The Grand Prix Manual does not permit it.

[Paddy The Rebel 300]

William Hill odds

 

Emil Sayfutdinov 5/2

Jason Crump 5/2

Nicki Pedersen 10/3

Andreas Jonsson 12/1

Chris Holder 14/1

Greg Hancock 16/1

Tomasz Gollob 16 /1

Jaroslaw Hampel 20/1

Fredrik Lindgren 25/1

Hans Andersen 25/1

Tai Woffinden 25/1

Kenneth Bjerre 40/1

Rune Holta 50/1

Chris Harris 100/1

Magnus Zetterstrom 200/1

 

What does everyone make of that?

 

I would go for Saufitdinov at 5/2, a small punt on Gollob plus Nicki Pedersen

Edited November 18, 2009 by Paddy The Rebel

[mickthemuppet 976]

Cant quite follow the logic in thinking Gollob is going to be on the slide big style.He seems to be putting everything into the GP`s these days and if there is more dirt and grip around next season i think he won`t be far away.

 

My odds are for outright otherwise Tomasz Gollob would be favourite for the first GP

 

I did not say Tomasz Gollob is on the slide big time although William Hill price him up at 16/1 as well but I don't think you will find many Speedway World Champions at 39 years of age. Even the world's greatest Speedway rider ever Ivan Mauger could only manage it when he was 37. Plus Poles do not win world titles except one fluke.

William Hill's odds for one third the odds for 1st or 2nd are disgraceful. They would have riots if they offered only 2 places on 16 horse races.

[racers and royals 8,736]

But there wont be.

 

The Grand Prix Manual does not permit it.

That was Ole Olsen`s personal one which has been ripped up ! Tony Olsson`s is all together different !

I think Phil Rising`s post that Ole was intending to carry on until told by the FIM he had a different role for 2010 is mighty significant. We will know early enough Leszno and Prague will tell us (weather permitting)

Edited November 18, 2009 by racers and royals

[Jim Blanchard 19]

That was Ole Olsen`s personal one which has been ripped up ! Tony Olsson`s is all together different !

I think Phil Rising`s post that Ole was intending to carry on until told by the FIM he had a different role for 2010 is mighty significant. We will know early enough Leszno and Prague will tell us (weather permitting)

 

Forget about Ole. He does not ride any more. Whoever prepares the track - its the same for everyone.

 

 

 

[racers and royals 8,736]

Forget about Ole. He does not ride any more. Whoever prepares the track - its the same for everyone.

We are talking about boring GP`s here-obviously you are happy to watch the follow the leader stuff increasingly served up by ole in recent years.

[phil g 0]

Lindgren, if he can bring elite league form into gp could be worth a tenner eachway.

[geeze 0]

My odds are for outright otherwise Tomasz Gollob would be favourite for the first GP

 

I did not say Tomasz Gollob is on the slide big time although William Hill price him up at 16/1 as well but I don't think you will find many Speedway World Champions at 39 years of age. Even the world's greatest Speedway rider ever Ivan Mauger could only manage it when he was 37. Plus Poles do not win world titles except one fluke.

William Hill's odds for one third the odds for 1st or 2nd are disgraceful. They would have riots if they offered only 2 places on 16 horse races.

There are genuine reasons to think gollob could be world champion here they are

 

1 He had his one of his best seasons last year.

2 There is a extra gp in poland.

3 Yes he is old but he is still improving.

4 If you believe in fairytales then this guy deserves it as he is the most talented rider ever.

But he needs to still pick up points when conditions dont suit him and not throw in the towel.

I also agree about billy hills 1/3 the odds 1 2 is a disgrace but there is a billy hills in thetford

where i live and they are a joke,Corals are much better but 16/1 is still a good price even

though its a waste of time doing it each way.

 

Arise sir Gollob

[fatface 2,554]

I did not say Tomasz Gollob is on the slide big time although William Hill price him up at 16/1 as well but I don't think you will find many Speedway World Champions at 39 years of age. Even the world's greatest Speedway rider ever Ivan Mauger could only manage it when he was 37.

Thought Mauger was just shy of 40 when he won in 1979?

 

I think Gollob's a contender, but I would also be very surprised if he won it. I don't think he's getting better with age, but I would say his attitude has noticeably improved. There's little sign now of the petulance which caused him to simply give up when he didn't like the track at some GPs.

[sheffieldscot 0]

Anyone who thinks that Jason is not hungry enough to win a 4th title...........Think again. My tip for 2010 good old Crumpy.Go get 'em Jason :lol:

[Sprog1 79]

My odds are for outright otherwise Tomasz Gollob would be favourite for the first GP

 

1 Even the world's greatest Speedway rider ever Ivan Mauger could only manage it when he was 37.

 

2 Plus Poles do not win world titles except one fluke.

 

1Ivan actually won his 6th World Title when he was about 3 weeks short of his 40th birthday, having been born on 4th Oct 1939 which I think makes him the oldest man to win the title. He was also one of the oldest men to win it for the first time.He didnt win his first title until he was nearly 29 having had to wait until the two truly great riders were past their sell-by dates. He was one of the greatest but not THE greatest

 

2. I presume your use of the word "fluke" is a polite way of saying "cheat" in which case I would agree with you, although it has to be said that Szczakiel and Mauger raced each other something like 15 times over the years and the honours were something like 8 wins to Mauger and 7 to Szczakiel (can't remember the exact ratio), so the Pole did have a better record against Ivan than most.

[The Know 221]

one of four i believe. niki,crump,gollob,emil.

 

dont really see anyone else doing it.

[speedyguy 20]

My odds are for outright otherwise Tomasz Gollob would be favourite for the first GP

 

I did not say Tomasz Gollob is on the slide big time although William Hill price him up at 16/1 as well but I don't think you will find many Speedway World Champions at 39 years of age. Even the world's greatest Speedway rider ever Ivan Mauger could only manage it when he was 37. Plus Poles do not win world titles except one fluke.

William Hill's odds for one third the odds for 1st or 2nd are disgraceful. They would have riots if they offered only 2 places on 16 horse races.

 

Jerzy Szackiel was the best rider on the day he won the world championship. It was no fluke - he had an excellent international standing - take a look at various competitions. He was ridiculed in the UK because that's the way most journalists liek to do things - just study reports on any sport where England'Englishmen are beaten.

[Sprog1 79]

Jerzy Szackiel was the best rider on the day he won the world championship. It was no fluke - he had an excellent international standing - take a look at various competitions. He was ridiculed in the UK because that's the way most journalists liek to do things - just study reports on any sport where England'Englishmen are beaten.

 

"Excellent international standing" ? You're having a laugh aren't you? He was useless outside of Poland.

 

Lets do as you suggest and look ar various competitions;-

 

1971 fails to qualify for World Final

1972 fails to qualify for World Final

1973 controversially wins World Final in Poland with a Polish referee and Polish start marshal. Just 13 days later comes to England to ride for the Polish team in the World Team Cup at Wembley. Fails to score. Worst performance by any rider in the meeting.

1974 Fails to qualify for the World Final. Named in Polish World Team Cup but finishes last in his first ride and is so hopelessly out classed he is withdrawn from the rest of the meeting and replaced with a reserve

1975 fails to qualify for World Final or WTC

1976 fails to qualify for World Final or WTC. Tours with Polish team against British League sides. Scores 0 at Newport, 4 at Poole, 4 at Hackney and 1 at Coventry. Still only 26 years old this"world class rider" then spends the rest of his career in the Polish 2nd Division and obscurity

 

As for being the best rider on the day in the 1973 World Final the evidence is on youtube for all to see. Remember this is a Polish referee under pressure from 170,000 Polish fans in the stadium. At an earlier point in the meeting Dave Lanning commentating remarks that "the Polish authorites are making up the rules as they go along". When it comes to the controversial run-off with Mauger, Mauger is first up to the gate and as expected looks at the track and does some "gardening". Szczakiel then comes along and inexplicably does not look at the track but sits about over half a bike length back from the tapes.The Polish start marshal who has a duty under the rules to assist the referee in getting "a fair and equal start" does nothing to order Szczakiel up to the tapes. There is nothing to indicate that the riders have been brought under starters orders but Szczakiel rolls forward from his position a metre or so back from the tapes and just as he gets there the referee lets the tapes go. It is impossible to avoid the opinion that it was a stitch up and that Szczakiel knew in advance that the ref was going to let the tapes go when he got there.

I am sorry but I cannot escape the opinion that that meeting was the biggest stitch up in World Championship history.

[austrian hammer 0]

When was a one off World Final one by someone who wasnt one of the top 4/5 pre meeting favourites?

And that is a genuine question Im not trying wind anyone up.

 

 

Szezakiel in 1973. He did it on the day, but was hardly a leading contender.