Mark

I'm not an expert but in cricket they have a residency rule which allows foreign players to play for another country. Maybe that could be applied for speedway too.

SLOVENIA PREDICTIONS 12 Tai Woffinden 12 Darcy Ward 9 Neils K Iversen 9 Greg Hancock

Anyone know the reason why Emil's injuries are being kept a secret ? Not sure what purpose that serves but hope he is back soon.

Lots of easy points available with Emil & Holder out the series due to injury. Top men could get big scores due to lack of quality opposition. Dryml for Emil hardly a fair swap.

The top 8 settled ? Cant agree. Holder has 82pts and lies currently in 8th below Holder are Gollob 73 Ward 68 Lindgren 65 KK 62 Holder will remain on 82 so will drop out the top 8. Zagar on 84 so he isn't safe yet and will need 3 decent GPs. Anyone from Gollob to KK could overtake Holder and maybe Zagar if he has a poor last month Ward is getting about 11 points a GP on average so he'll be top 8 bar a calamity. Gollob has Torun to come. Plenty to ride for in 3 GPs.

True to a degree but Woofy also broke his collarbone very badly. Interesting that Emil is getting a 2nd opinion. Only a few weeks ago Rory Schlien was told by a Polish doctor he had a broken leg but it wasn't broken.

what a shame for the rider and GP title race. hope Emil is not too bad and able to race.

I commented on TP tours quite a bit and nothing was rudely put. The main comment was on the price they charge as you can book the tour yourself for a much cheaper price. It's only flight, ticket and hotel for the majority of GPs that are in town centres. One reason why Bradford Ace can't buy a Torun ticket is because TP tours have bought plenty but will charge a higher price to buy from them. If that assumption about ticket prices is incorrect I'll apologise to TP tours and accept I'm wrong. Same case as to why accomodation in Cardiff is difficult to get as TP tours bulk buy cheaper end price rooms and then sell them on with a nice profit on top.

ring them ?

In a 2 man run off they go inside and outside. Start where you want. In a 3 man run off nobody would choose Gate 4. In a 4 man run off, and I cant remember any of those before, but then one poor soul has the bogey gate.

The only argument against yours is the gate positions when they met. Gate 4 was useless so should one rider have that gate he would be at a disadvantage. Things happen outside the riders control that determine positions. Wasnt Bomber leading a race when someone fell and then came 2nd in the re-run.

that sentence is gibberish

I've not seen Giant Haystacks or Big Daddy ride in the Elite League. This must prove that riders weighing over 30 stone wouldn't get an Elite League place.

not bad for a week in NZ for 4 people and didn't some of the riders go via USA or Australia last year. Wish I could afford that. It was well publicized It was the year Poland only allowed one GP rider per team. He would have lost his main income as his Polish team already had a GP rider. Very sensible decision you would agree

Sensibly so as he was too young and unprepared

I lean towards agreeing but the GP has 15 permanent riders so someone has to finish 9th -15th. Is he in the top 15 ? I'd say Yes when on top form as Cardiff would show This meeting will always be weaker than the GP's for obvious reasons. Cant blame the rider, blame the system.

gate 4 looked impossible all night. shame that happened on such a big night as some riders would have had 2 gate 4's so chances of a good score were reduced

That would be true for the huge majority of his career but I recall him knocking Jimmy Neilsen off his bike after a race had finished. It was live on Sky. A good rider over the years and enjoyable to watch.

I've not criticised the company as I'm sure it is very well run. I'm simply pointing out that ANYONE can book the same holiday far cheaper by doing it themselves. As Humphrey says the travel agent is disappearing. Time to put this one to bed I agree.

I'm entitled to an opinion. It is a forum for polite free speech. I'm not suggesting TP Tours are anything but true pro's and have said they are not a charity and are entitled to make a profit as its a business. Its up to you how you travel. But I fail to understand why anyone would pay for a TP tour that they can arrange easily in person for a fraction of the cost. How much hassle is it to book flight, hotel and ticket ? If you want to employ TP tours then pay your large subsidy for them to make a few clicks on a website or to pick up a phone on your behalf.

No insult intended but anyone can do the maths so no point going over old ground. Well not until they offer late availability hotel rooms in Cardiff at inflated rates and market them as if they are doing everyone a favour. That's like buying a fillet steak at £5 and selling it to a diner for £10.

Budget airline fares tend to get more expensive as the plane gets shorter on available seats. As TravelPlus tours would know there requirement, and the GP date the moment it is announced if not sooner, they would book on day 1 to obtain cheapest fares. The GP series was announced in October but Phil booked his flights in April when lights were surely not empty. Costs are not relevant and the list includes reserved seating, a text, a credit card charge and a checked bag which could easily be stripped away. Travel Plus only allow hand baggage. As for the hotel cost in September it is only a guide but shows how cheap accommodation in Poland can be. Travel Plus tours are not a charity so they have every right to make a profit. My point is that you can book the same trip yourself for a fraction of the cost. Only lazy people or those with money to burn would go with a tour company.

If I'm reading it right Travel Plus charge £458 for a 3 night trip which includes all transfers from Gdansk or Bydgoszcz. Only 10k hand luggage. Breakfast included. Your GP ticket has to be purchased as an extra, not sure if that at cost price, and £40 extra a night for a single room. If going to a Polish league match on Sunday that's extra too. Being generous the flight would have been no more than £100 if booked well in advance. Normal rate for a double room in this modest out of town hotel is £25 per person per night. As the GP is in Torun with no Torun airport, and the GP always sells out, an organised tour is more appealing than some TT tours as the transfers are made easy but anyone can do the maths. Earlier in the season Gothenburg for 2 nights was £469 but you could book that yourself for half the price allowing you to come and go when you want. In Cardiff Travel Plus will charge £118 per night for a double room with breakfast at the Ibis. A similar deal in September costs £66 per night. As you say Phil it's money well spent.

travel plus tours will charge you an arm and a leg for a trip you could book yourself but as torun may be sold out they could be only option.

Tai only needs to beat Emil now. He said that himself 2 GPs ago. Winning a GP or beating Darcy Ward isn't vital.