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Speedway World Cup: Bjerre brilliant again but Danes bow out
AUSTRALIA 51, SWEDEN 39, GREAT BRITAIN 35, DENMARK 34 (World Cup Race-Off – Australia and Sweden advance to the final)
AUSTRALIA 51, SWEDEN 39, GREAT BRITAIN 35, DENMARK 34
(World Cup Race-Off – Australia and Sweden advance to the final)More brilliance from Panthers star Kenneth Bjerre proved to be in vain as Denmark lost their grip on the World Cup crown on Thursday night.
Huntingdon resident Bjerre roared to 17 points as the out-of-sorts Danes limped home in last place in the Race-Off at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium in Leszno, Poland.
The pint-sized Peterborough ace was responsible for half his nation's points as he followed up a blistering Event One maximum with another fine performance.
Bjerre reeled off four wins (including a double-points joker success in heat 16) but he received scant support from some poor team-mates in the absence of injured world champion Nicki Pedersen, who is sidelined with the serious leg burns sustained in a crash on Saturday.
Panthers skipper Niels Kristian Iversen managed just four points while club asset Hans Andersen, who missed Denmark's opener through a wrist injury, troubled the scorers only once.
Bjerre said: "Of course I am pleased with my own performance again, although I felt I could have won my last race when I came third.
"But it is really disappointing to not even make the final a year after we won the World Cup.
"It was a close meeting right up until the final few heats, but we simply didn't win enough races.
"You can't just replace the world champion with another rider. Being without Nicki was a big blow and we had other riders like Hans and Puk (Iversen) off form.
"It has been a really tough year for the Danish guys but we cannot make excuses. We have been a winning team in speedway for many years and we have to make the final and fight for the medals at the very least."
Denmark finished up a point behind battling Great Britain as both countries bowed out.
The Brits held second place for much of the meeting until the turning point in heat 23.
Swedish skipper Andreas Jonsson held off some strong early pressure from Huntingon lad Danny King to successfully execute a joker that enabled his team to leapfrog Rob Lyon's British boys.
King could not repeat the fine level of form showed during Event Two at the Showground on Monday. He managed only two points.
Fellow former Panthers man Lee Richardson toasted his recall to the British fold with a classy 17-point haul while Chris Harris – a man who also used to ply his trade in the city – added nine.
Australia strolled to victory without Panthers great Ryan Sullivan in their ranks. Aussie team boss Craig Boyce claimed that Sullivan didn't turn up for practice ahead of the meeting and was replaced by Adam Shields who struggled before suffering a suspected broken collarbone in a penultimate heat smash.
The men from Down Under and Sweden join Event One victors Russia and Showground kings Poland in the final tomorrow.
Race-Off Scores
Australia 51: Jason Crump 14, Chris Holder 11, Leigh Adams 11, Davey Watt 11, Adam Shields 4.
Sweden 39: Andreas Jonsson 16, Antonio Lindback 10, Fredrik Lindgren 8, Jonas Davidsson 3, David Ruud 2.
Great Britain 35: Lee Richardson 17, Chris Harris 9, Tai Woffinden 8, Danny King 1, Lewis Bridger 0.
Denmark: Kenneth Bjerre 17, Nicolai Klindt 6, Patrick Hougaard 6, Niels Kristian Iversen 4, Hans Andersen 1.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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