PHILIPRISING

ASK you the same question ... if not Harris then who?

WHO would you have put in instead of Harris if it had to be a British rider? If he does get through tonight at least he will have done it on the track. The big question now is which Swedish rider or riders will get a wild card. More charity for Lindgren? YES ... they (FIM) have no way or stopping a rider withdrawing should he wish to do so. Perhaps there should be some provision for punishment but we all know that if necessary a medical certificate would miraculously appear.

QUITE right ... the FIM would simply point out the fact is that when riders withdraw at a late stage it opens the door for host country riders to step in. Don't like it any more than you but, frankly, what is the alternative? It is not like calling up at the last minute a tennis player who could jump on a plane with his racket as hand luggage. Maybe the Challenge should be over three rounds but organisers are exactly queuing up to stage it now.

COULD happen with both on five after two

AND how do you suggest they have any influence? The whole qualification process is in the domain of the FIM. They determine who rides where, what venues are used, where the Challenge is held and so on. Back up your assertion ...

HOW many more times! BSI have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the Challenge and, anyway, are more than happy with the current British representation in the SGP.

BIGGEST load of rubbish I've read in along time

SAD news. Had a great voice, made for commentary. Full tribute in SS next week.

KNUDSEN'S performance at Long Beach in the 1985 World Team Cup Final was one of the best I ever saw ...

THAT probably had something to do with not knowing which TV company would be covering the GPs ... think the start time will be known earlier this time around.

I CAN at least remember that Jan O also had to contend with some pretty useful fellow countrymen at that time...

THAT'S the trouble with getting old and a fading memory...

DON'T think he had that many injuries before the one that ended his career

PROBABLY the latter ... will check Have checked ... no decision as yet but likely to stay at 6pm

BUT no mention on Monday that a British rider was leading the World Championship ... do you not find that strange?

THE wife of one of the guys who works for PInegen has spent all her working life in the travel business. She used to operate from a High Street office. Now she works from home for a major travel company. No office costs for the parent company, no rates, fewer overheads, etc, etc. It ain't just quaint, it makes economic sense. And, Marky, TP do far more than just make a few clicks and pick up a phone on your behalf ... their tours are meticulously planned months ahead, hotels visited and vetted, internal travel arrangements put in place, a complete itinerary pieced together. Why knock it? You obviously prefer to do your own thing. Fine. Others like to have the work done for them, to have the peace of mind that goes with it. Why the criticism? Anyway, time to put this one to bed. Each to his own...

AND being replaced by tour operators who do their business over the telephone ... as do TravcelPlus

PAWLICKI jnr and Lahti are both in the meeting. CHALLENGE draw The riders entered for this event have been drawn to start in the following positions: Ballot N° Rider FMN Country 1 Vaclav Milik ACCR Czech Republic 2 Maciej Janowski PZM Poland 3 Krzysztof Kasprzak PZM Poland 4 Peter Kildemand DMU Denmark 5 Timo Lathi SML Finland 6 Hans Andersen DMU Denmark 7 Kenneth Bjerre DMU Denmark 8 Troy Batchelor MA Australia 9 (Wild Card) Daniel King ACU Great Britain 10 Niels Kristian Iversen DMU Denmark 11 Thomas Jonasson SVEMO Sweden 12 Michael Jepsen Jensen DMU Denmark 13 Piotr Pawlicki PZM Poland 14 Martin Smolinski DMSB Germany 15 Matej Zagar AMZS Slovenia 16 Daniel Nermark SVEMO Sweden 17 (Reserve) Jurica Pavlic HMS Croatia 18 (Reserve) Chris Harris ACU Great Britain

NO mention of him during the Sky meeting last night either. Tai could be World Champion by the time the Elite League play-offs conclude, possibly with Wolverhampton involved. Will they still ignore him?

IT is true that Peter Kildemand is taking is place KNOW I shouldn't respond to such rubbish but, apart from anything else, the GP Challenge is nothing to do with BSI. Also wonder whether Patrick Hougaard realises his good name is being associated with a lunatic

LAZY or money to burn ... rather insulting to those who choose to go with a tour company. You might just as well say that those who go out for dinner are too lazy to cook and have money to burn.

TAI has shown himself to be the more consistent starter and that could be key

FOUR people with Ryanair to Bydgoszcz ... PAYMENT DETAILS *******287.92 GBP Total Fare *******204.96 GBP Taxes, Fees & Charges ********20.00 GBP Passenger Fee: EU 261 Levy ********56.00 GBP Passenger Fee: Web Check in *********2.00 GBP Passenger Fee: ETS ********56.00 GBP Passenger Fee: Administration Fee ********90.00 GBP Passenger Fee: Checked Bag(s) *********1.69 GBP Passenger Fee: Mobile Text ********80.00 GBP Passenger Fee: Reserved Seating ********15.97 GBP Passenger Fee: Credit Card Fee *******814.54 GBP Total Paid

RECORD number of punters think it is money well spent. Not sure what the Ibis charge in September has to do with what they charge over the GP weekend. Booked our Ryanair fights to Bydgoszcz for Torun GP in April ... cost £287 per person. Hotel in Torun (not modest or out of trown) around £100 per night. CORRECTION: cost per person was £203...

MORE a question of tidying up the wording to avoid the ambiguity that confused some but not all last year.