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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127842
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(Above) Poland's
Tomasz Gollob (13)
made the A final to the
cheers of tha Czech
crowd. Gollob wound
up third In the top race
of the evening,
(Right) Surprise,
surprise: Young Pole
Slawomir Drabik (14)
put away top stars like
former World Champion
Tony Rlckardsson (4)
and Hamill (1) en route
to the A final, where he
finished fourth.
(Above right - left to
right) Hamill, Hancock
and Gollob partied It up
on the podium. The trio
had reason to be happy,
as each has gotten off
to an excellent start in a
crucial world series.
needed to keep a cool head. He was a
clear leader of the first stagmg when
Nilsen crashed, which caused the race to
be stopped. A rider of less character
than Hamill would have resigned himself to the fact that it just wasn't going to
be his night, particularly as his bike
started causing him problems with just
40 seconds to go before the rerun. He
was forced into using his second bike in
a last-ditch effort to make the start, and
it worked well as he won the race in fine
style.
.
Hamill gave himself a chance of
reaching the A final when he won heat
14 to build up to nine points. Hamill
defeated Chris Louis and Brian Andersen, despite some brave pressure from
Louis.
Hancock's first defeat of the night
came in the next race - but you get the
feeling that if he had really wanted it, he
could have taken that step further and
passed winner Gollob.. lt looked like
Hancock was taking the safety-first
option.
By this st~ge, Hancock had already
done enough to reach the A final, but
Hamill still had work to do as the Polish
duo, backed by some massive support,
piled on the pressure by continuing to
score well. Chris Louis was also in contention for a place at the expense 01
Hamill, and he put the ultimate pressure on the reigning champion with a
superb victory over Drabik in heat 17,
which meant that Hamill needed a win
in his last race to ensure a place in the' A
final.
Hamill did that, just getting the better of Hancock in heat 20, and the disappointment on Louis' face was obvious as
Hamill took the checkered flag ahead .of
Hancock, with Peter Karlsson and Mark
Loram trailing in third and fourth.
GRAND PRIX FINAls
Karlsson, who has been in great form
.in the British League so lar this season,
made the best of a bad situation by winning the D final ahead of Wigg, Topinka
and World Under 21 Champion Piotr
Protasiewicz.
Anderson got the better of Nielsen to
win the C final, with Loram third and
Adams at the back.
.
Gustafsson was an impressive winner in the B final, with Nilsen closing in
on second and Louis having to settle for
third when he was so close to a place in
the A final, which must have been frustrating for the star Englishman.
Rickardsson took fourth.
Then came the A final, and any
thoughts of the Team Exide boys showing favoritism to each other went right
out the window.
"Billy and 1 are lifelong friends, but
we are also racers, and we want to beat
each other," Hancock said afterward.
"There is never any suggestion of
fa.voritism. All we are worried about on
the track is ourselves, even though we
are carrying the Team Exide banner:'
In the big showdown between the
two friends and rivals, Hancock chose
gate two, while Hamill went for the outside. Hancock won the race from the
gate, with Hamill chasing all the way,
leaving Gollob in third and Drabik at
the back. Hancock was understandably
delighted with the win and the start he
has made to the series, but he is also
very quick to keep his feet very firmly
on the ground.
"The meeting went well for me, and 1
understand and appreciate that things
can go. wrong sometimes," Hancock
said. "I just hope that 1 have some good
fortune throughout the series. This
series will go down to the wire, I don't
have any doubt about that, and I can see
us both (Billy and me) being there at the
end."
Hamill, meanwhile, was full of congratulations for his buddy, but he was
also relieved to have survived the first
meeting without a disaster..
"When 1 made a very poor start to
the meeting, 1 knew 1 needed to score
well in my third ride, and that's when
everything started going wrong with
my bike," Hamill said. "The pressure
was on, and 1 really needed to stay cool
when 1went out on my second machine.
Thankfully, that's what 1 managed to
do, and my three wins took me through
to the A final. 1 congratulated Greg
(after the wiil) because I was pleased for
him. He probably deserved it on the day
for the consistency he showed through-
out the meeting, but I'll be ~ooking to
win the next round in Sweden."
Other title hopefuls had to dig a bit
deeper to remain optimistic. Louis, for
one, was predicatably disappointed
with his seventh-place finish, as he was
within one race of challenging for the
win.
"I knew Billy had to win heat 20, and
1 suppose you can't keep a good rider
down like that," Louis said. "He proved
what a true champion he is by winning
that race and going through to the A
final"
The 10th-placed Nielsen has vowed
to hit back in the future rounds and is
refusing to give up hope for the title,
despite his poor start.
"There is a long way to go," Nielsen
said. "If there is one good thing about
me losing in the last meeting last year, it
shows that you can never give up until
the end, and that's what I'll do. I'll be
back in Sweden, challenging for the top.
Things went against me, but I'm not
going to sit around and make excuses. 1
just know I have what it takes to put
things right."
.
But to do that, Nielsen, and everybody else, will have to catch the colorful
Californians.
eN
Czech Grand Prix
Prague, Czech Republic
Results: May 18,1997 (Round 1 of 6)
O/A: 1. Greg Hancock (13): 2. Billy Hamill (12): 3.
(TIE) Tomasz Gollob/Slawomir Drabik (11); 4. Chris
Louis (10); 5. (TIE) Henrik Gustafsson/Jimxny
Nilsen/Tony Rkkardsson (9); 8. Hans Nielsen (8); 9.
(TIE) Brian Andersen/Mark Loraro/Leigh Adams (6);
12. Peter Karlsson (4); 13. (TIE) Simon Wigg/Tomasz
Topinka I Piotr Protasiewicz (2); 16. (TIEr Miknel
Karlsson/ Andy Smith (0).
.
~
Grand Prix Finals
D FINAL: 1. Peter Karlsson; 2. Simon Wigg; 3.
Tomasz Topinka; 4. Piotr Protasiewicz.
C FINAL: 1. Brian Andersen; 2: Hans Nielsen; 3.
Mark Loram; 4. Leigh Adams.
.
B FINAL: 1. Hen.rik Gustafsson; 2. Jimmy Nilsen; 3.
Chris Louis; 4. Tony Rickardsson.
A FINAL: 1. Greg Han.cock; 2. Billy Hamill; 3.
Tomasz GoUob; 4. Slawomir Drabik.
WORLD INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
POINTS STANDINGS (After I of 6 rounds): 1. Greg
Hancock (25/1 win); 2. Billy Hamill (20); 3. Tomagz
Collob (18); 4. Slawomir Drabik (16); 5. Henka
Gustafsson (14); 6. Jimmy Nilsen (13); 7. Chris Louis
(12): 8. Tony Ricl