Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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final ride in heat 18, and edged out by virtue of Richardson having two wins to his one. Rickardsson lost out on second places - not that it mattered, as he had already put the finishing touches on what has been a truly phenomenal season. Richardson, who had swapped bikes after starting the night with two last places, won his semifinal and finished runner-up in the final - his best-ever GP result - when local hero Gollob won in Bydgoszcz for the fourth successive year. Gollob became the first rider in GP history to win four consecutive meetings at the same venue, and once again he served up some spectacular action for the partisan support inside a packed Polonia Stadium. Born and bred in Bydgoszcz, Gollob is idolized by the local fans, despite having defected to the Tarnow club two years ago. He dropped two points in the qualifying rounds - to Leigh Adams in heat I I when he produced a wide outside swoop to shoot from fourth to second, and to Richardson in heat 20. A slick surface again meant that Bydgoszcz's reputation for being the best racetrack on the GP circuit never quite rang true, but Gollob was his usual inimitable self and powered away in the first semifinal, ahead of Crump, Nicki Pedersen and Polish wild card Piotr Protasiewicz, who had given the home fans pienty to cheer with I I points. A wizard of balance, and an avid explorer of the high line - especially at Bydgoszcz - Gollob lifted himself from I I th overall to seventh with his bumper 25-point haul. His victory broke the dominance of Rickardsson and Crump, who between them had won all previous seven GPs in 2005. "I love riding at Bydgoszcz, but there is always a lot of pressure on me," Gollob said. "I used a Jawa engine specially tuned for this track rather than a GM, and it was a great night for me." Richardson finished second when he found the traction to muscle through deposed champion Crump and Hancock off the second turn in the final. Hancock had reached the final after scoring 12 points in the qualifying and then finishing second, behind Richardson, in the second semifinal. The Californian gave Gollob a real run for his money in heat four before relenting on the second lap, and then flew off the inside to outdo Crump in heat five. He then won heats 12 and 14 as well before finishing with a third, behind Nicki Pedersen and Andreas Jonsson, in heat 19. Richardson, whose only previous final appearance was at Cardiff last year, said he needed a big finish to the series after the way things have gone this year. "This was a fantastic night for me," Richardson said. "I switched bikes after my first two rides, and my second machine performed brilliantly. It has been a frustrating season in the Grand Prix, but I am over the moon with this result." The battle to finish in the top eight also saw Swedish hopeful Jonsson move up a place after scoring I 0 points, with both Antonio Lindback, who finished a wretched night with five last places (a new.GP record), and Jarek Hampel both dropping out of the frame. Hancock, who began the night just six points ahead of the ninth-placed Jonsson, moved onto 82 points, and his target in the last GP at Lonigo in Italy on September lOis to overhaul Leigh Adams for fourth place overall. Hancock, currently trailing the Aussie by nine points, said it was a great Grand Prix for him. "I felt like I was on a winner," Hancock said. "We have made some vast improvements with our motors, and I feel I am back on the right track. Even though it is late in the season again, I am looking to finish fourth overall now, but I feel I should be in the top three. That is where I want to be, and I believe I am good enough to be a top-three rider." eN POLONIA STADIUM BYDGOSZCZ, POLAND RESULTS: AUGUST 27, 2005 (ROUND 8) SEMI I: Toman Gollob: 2. Jason Crump; 3. Nicki Pedersen; -4. Piotr Protasiewicz. SEMI 2: I. Lee Richardson: 2. Greg Hancock: 3. Leigh Adams; 4. Andreas Jonsson. FINAL: I. Tomasz GoIk>b; 2. Lee Richardson; 3. Jason Crump; 4. Greg Hancock. FIM WORLD SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 9 rounds): I. Tony Rickardsson (171/5 wins); 2. Jason Crump (134/2 wins); 3. Nkki Pedersen (97); 4. Leigh Adams (91); 4. Greg Hancock (B2); S. Bjam. Pede"en (80); 6. Tom... Goliob (79/1 win): 7. And,.., Jon""" (70): 8. J'~ Hampel (67); 9. (TIE) Scon Nicholls (66)1Antonio Undback (66). UPCOMING ROUND: Round 9: loni90, Itoly, September 10 CYCLE NEWS • SEPTEMBER 7,2005 39