jimmy jimmy 298 Posted January 13, 2014 Woffinden for me, then Hampel and Ward. Same next year Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trees 2,814 Posted January 13, 2014 Emil and Hampel can't be taken into account as they race less and so don't have as much pressure on . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waiheke1 4,295 Posted January 13, 2014 How so? Hampel raced in two leagues, the same as tai. Except he raced in the tougher swedish league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucifer sam 3,953 Posted January 13, 2014 Tai Woffinden. Rode half the season with a dodgy collarbone, and still racked up the GP points despite that. All the best Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratton 1,491 Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) 2014. 1.Ward. 2.Iversen. 3.Sayfutdinov, with Holder,Woffinden, Hampel all in the mix and all having a chance of being WC. If Ward and his team can sit down have a gameplan he can win it.If prepared he should reach the semi,s in most GPs minimum i believe, but he just has to except that at times he just has to take the points not override and move on to the next round.Does anyone else believe anyone else outside those six riders can win it ?. If Ward stays injury free has a plan and sticks to it this year could be his year and IF and it is a big IF if he wins his first title that could push him on to win other world championships this year should be an exciting one. Edited January 13, 2014 by sidney 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woz01 3,589 Posted January 13, 2014 Even though statistics and facts have been posted that Darcy is in fact not even in the top 3 riders of 2013 some people will still not have it. Most exciting does not mean the best. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted January 13, 2014 Anyone who says Ward was the best rider in the world in 2013 is quite simply biased and deluded. They have nothing to back it up. Absolutely nothing. Was he the best rider in any league he competed in? No he wasn't. In fact in Poland he averaged a mere 7.6?? 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skidder1 7,637 Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) Anyone who says Ward was the best rider in the world in 2013 is quite simply biased and deluded. They have nothing to back it up. Absolutely nothing. Was he the best rider in any league he competed in? No he wasn't. In fact in Poland he averaged a mere 7.6?? Which by the same logic/average makes Chris Holder the best rider in the EL in 2013!! Edited January 13, 2014 by Skidder1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Agrotron 955 Posted January 13, 2014 Ward best rider in the world Just like the Poole Pirates have the best fan base, team and Matt my hero Ford as the best promoter ever to grace British Speedway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robinh88 571 Posted January 13, 2014 1. Puk 9think he could be world champ this year) 2. Hampel 3. Woffinden Dudek best U21 last year Sayfutdinov was poor domestically last year for me 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jason.C 111 Posted January 13, 2014 If nki continues in the same form he finished in, he will be a genuine challenger. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,821 Posted January 13, 2014 But noone is arguing who is world champ. The question was who was the best rider in 2013, not who was world champ or who was best in the gps. tai is the best rider in the world at the moment. did someone say he was lucky? what the hell yeh riding and winning with a broken collar bone thats really lucky.lol. ward will be a world champ when he learns to concentrate on riding hard instead of pulling wheelies to the cameras on the bends. It is interesting that others put other logic to make a reasoned response. However you address it Tai comes out highly if not top in virtually all equations. Which of course is a very simplistic response to the thread title. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Man in black 18 Posted January 13, 2014 I'm no fan of Woffinden but he put in one hell of a lot of work off track, is unquestionably the most improved rider of 2013 and a deserving World Champ to boot (still hate the "tats" though...). Top of the pile for me in 2013 – but can he keep it going this year? Ward has more talent than any rider I've seen in 40 years & if he learns from Tai he could become the best ever – time will tell. He's the rider I most enjoy watching on track. As an earlier poster said, we don't see Hampel in the UK so it's harder to judge. Personally I see him in the Leigh Adams mould – a superb rider lacking the final piece to put him at the very top. Pity Emil's season finished early – could he have held off Woffinden? Will he be World Champ in the future? "Maybe" to the first, "I hope so" to the second. NKI had a great 2013, but best in the world? Not just yet. Holder didn't look like keeping his crown, but the Coventry crash finished that anyway. I just hope he makes a full recovery back to his best. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westhamboy66 599 Posted January 13, 2014 I'm no fan of Woffinden but he put in one hell of a lot of work off track, is unquestionably the most improved rider of 2013 and a deserving World Champ to boot (still hate the "tats" though...). Top of the pile for me in 2013 – but can he keep it going this year? Ward has more talent than any rider I've seen in 40 years & if he learns from Tai he could become the best ever – time will tell. He's the rider I most enjoy watching on track. As an earlier poster said, we don't see Hampel in the UK so it's harder to judge. Personally I see him in the Leigh Adams mould – a superb rider lacking the final piece to put him at the very top. Pity Emil's season finished early – could he have held off Woffinden? Will he be World Champ in the future? "Maybe" to the first, "I hope so" to the second. NKI had a great 2013, but best in the world? Not just yet. Holder didn't look like keeping his crown, but the Coventry crash finished that anyway. I just hope he makes a full recovery back to his best. I agree with the vast majority you have written but PLEASE see beyond the tat's etc. Did Jason Crump's eyebrow piercing make him a bad person? It's 2014 not 1914 and surely he should be judged for how he performed on track and to a degree with his antics off track that include raising a pretty good amount for charity. Not only is he World Champion but our first since 2013 lets give him him all round support rather than highlight what some people seem to think is socially unacceptable but is revered as body art. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robinh88 571 Posted January 13, 2014 Average over the GP'S raced individually Ward would have been World Champion. Ward is a great talent it wont be long until he is World Champion While I am unsure about the long term future of domestic Speedway I think the future at GP is very bright Woffinden, Ward, Holder, Sayfutdinov, Hampel and Puk in my opinion all posess the capability of winning a World championship You can never discount Pederson or Hancock either We've also got some cracking talents coming through.. Dudek, Loktaev, Lebiedev, Pawlicki x2, Zmarlik, Janowski Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
