Kelvin Tatum - Sky Sports Expert

Champing at the bit

Kelvin Tatum previews the climax of the GP Series in Germany

Posted: 10th October 2008 11:30

Subscribe to RSS FeedSubscribe to RSS Feed Send an email to Kelvin TatumEmail Kelvin Tatum

German Grand Prix October 2007 nicki pedersen

Pedersen: eyeing third world title

His behaviour hasn't always been synonymous with that of a world champion but he's the best out there. He has proved his mental strength in the past and I expect to see him lifting his second successive title in Germany.

Kelvin Tatum on Nicki Pedersen
Quotes of the week

LIVE SPEEDWAY
German Grand Prix
6.00pm, Sat, Sky Sports 3

Also see

I thought we might see a dramatic Italian Grand Prix in Lonigo but I didn't expect that dramatic!

It ended up being an extraordinary meeting. We saw all sorts of shenanigans - and maybe a few signs of weakness from the leader and defending champion, Nicki Pedersen.

The Dane lost his composure on a few occasions, certainly when Jason Crump passed him and we saw him trying to block his rival. I suppose it showed he is human after all.

With Pedersen failing to make the semi final and scoring just six points, it looked like Crump was going to catch up with a 23-point haul - but then his bike packed up in the final!

The Australian had had a glimmer of hope but his mechanical problems meant he walked away feeling pretty despondent, even though he had the better meeting. I believe Crump feels 16 points is too big a gap to close in Gelsenkirchen.

Seal the deal

So Pedersen will feel relieved that he still has that considerable lead but the pressure is on for him to seal the deal.

It isn't easy closing out a championship and he contributed to his own troubles in Italy; he spat his dummy out a bit, which we unfortunately have seen before. He's certainly not perfect and his behaviour hasn't always been synonymous with that of a world champion.

But right now he's the best out there. He has proved his mental strength in the past and I expect to see him lifting his second successive title on Saturday.

As well as the championship, eighth place - and a ticket to next year's series - will also be decided in Gelsenkirchen; once again the battle between the Polish rider Rune Holta and Britain's Scott Nicholls goes right down to the wire.

They are both chasing hard and Holta did well in Lonigo; I didn't really fancy him but he managed to get to the semis.

Nicholls will be fired up after his spat with Lukas Dryml in Lonigo. There's an unwritten rule that you can squeeze a rider but you always give them racing room; unfortunately, in heat seven, Dryml didn't. It was a naughty move by the Czech, which could have put them both in danger, and if Nicholls hadn't read the situation like he did, he would have been over the safety fence.

Injuries have left Chris Harris off the pace but if the British champion doesn't qualify, there will be some serious questions asked at the British Speedway Promoters' Association. We need representatives from Great Britain at the Grand Prix Series.

Nicholls' performance at Bydgoszc put him back in with a shout but now it's last-chance saloon. At least he is in a position to dictate his own destiny.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that we see a spectacular end to the season at the Veltins Arena, which is hosting the German GP for the second time. It's a fantastic stadium - normally home to Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 - with a track that is slightly bigger than the one at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

And to cap the night off, we've got the Super-Prix event to look forward to - Jason Crump, Tomasz Gollob, Rune Holta and the winner of Saturday's meeting, compete in a one-off race for a prize purse of $200,000. Not a bad Christmas bonus if you can get it!

Kelvin's call...

Greg Hancock - It could be a very open Grand Prix but I'm tipping Greg Hancock. A bit of a long shot, perhaps, but the veteran American is certainly riding with some momentum.

I expect Nicki Pedersen to finally lift the title here though. If the gap between him and Jason Crump had been 12 points, the defending champ would be feeling pretty uncomfortable. But the way it worked out in Lonigo has given him the opportunity to wrap things up on the last GP of the season.

Comments

Carl Marriott says...

There's no doubt Nicki is a great rider, i just wish he could show a bit more class on and off the track. A number of times this season Nicki has just jumped off his bike looking to get his opponents excluded, and but for some gormless refereeing decisions Crumpie would of been a lot closer going into Germany. Speedway is a great sport and we don't need this sort of stuff from the world champ.

Posted 14:13 10th October 2008

Page 1 of 1

Add Comment*

All fields are required

Are you a Sky Sports subscriber?

Character Count : 0/1950

Please tick here if you wish to receive emails relating to Sky Sports.com or any other companies, services or products related to Sky Sports.com

Please send me the weekly Sky Sportszine - exclusive content, features and competitions to my inbox every Friday.

*All fields required, your email address will be kept private