Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1542398
M;ll€n.ium Cordiff. WORLD sPE€DWAY World sp€Gdwag GPand Prix S€ri€s he pulsatinS beat of the British Grand Prix struck a familiar chord in the eardrum-bashinS surrounds of Cardifl's Millenni- um Stadium last Saturday night. Speedway's biggest night of the year a symmetrical feel to it - and it was all to the count of three. For series leader Jason Crump, it was a third consecutive GP win, had achieved with a sizeable slice of providence, and it stretched his lead at the head of the standings to a Tony Rickardssonesque 34 points goin8 into the halfway mark of the campaign in Copenhagen on June 24. For all-Americah hero Greg Hancock, leadinS the linal for the third consecutive round again ended in deep disappointment. The Californian, runner-up at both Wroclaw and Eskilstuna, was liShting to regain the lead off lively Pole .laroslaw Hampel when he came to grief on lap two and was erccluded. And for top British rider Scoft Nicholls, a third semi-final appearance of the season in his "home" Grand Prix also magnilied his ongoing frustration as he once again missed out on reaching the final. !.u-p Prix in rtrqighl That's an unlucky l3 semi-finals for Nicholls in the last 23 GPs - but not once has he ended the night by adding any extra points to his total. It won't go down as one of the classic GPs, especially as a ha.d and slick temporary track rut- ted up disconcertingly in places. But Cardifl is always a kaleidoscope of an occasion, and one that consistently stirs the senses. Crump won three of his five qualifying races, but his score of ll was topped by Hancock and Danish rider Bjarne Pedersen, the pair cominS awa),/ with 12 apiece. Both leadin8 lights dropped points midway through, with Hancock erring to allow a reiuvenat- ed Tony Rickardsson through on the run-in to the flag in heat ll and Pedersen surrendering to Andreas Jonsson in a blanket battle also involving Crump in heat 16. Rickardsson was back on form with l0 points, but he finished third in the flrst semi-flnal and with Nicki Pedersen failing to recover from a first-race bobble to s€rape a miserable four points, Crump's command of the world title race was only serious- ly compromised by Hancock. Hancock, celebrating his 35th birthday, had been I FI r ss,a T\R\ I { tg fl I E a I T I I I a \ a p a , I f C i I I I a , II' a t I IT T t rr I \ - - a 6-v ss t \ Grumt ,e a IME Joson Crum p lokes his third stroi ghr GP victory Yh;'t r l&* ! t f I t 3 u ol ,l; -a a / I. I f t I 40 luNE 21, 2006 CYCLE NEWS June 3, 2OO5 a )- -/ ', L I Ir 3 .* \ 't rl \ t. .'/, tr ','lf tw,-: I I -- 'I SroRY AND PHoros BY JoHN HrPKrss Greg Honcock wos hovitq o good niEht until th. finol when he crqshed ouL E \i f >-, :/ ) r .I