WORLD UNDER 21 FINAL

 

As always the Under 21 Final was keenly contested and the result was difficult to predict right up to the end of the meeting.  GOTE NORDVALL eventually came out on top and become the first Swedish rider to claim the title since Johan Friman over 10 years ago.  The other rostrum places were decided by a run-off when Hans Benkarth of Germany beat Denmark's Kenni Algreen after the pair had finished on 11 apiece.
 
Of the other fancied names before the meeting Jack Hagen was very much in the running but just a point from his final 2 heats meant he finished down in 8th place.  Many thought Anders Solberg would be capable of replicating his Semi Final form and challenging but he started with a pointless ride and never recovered as he finished well down the field.  Janek Bartousek was in with a chance of taking the title right up until heat 20 but ended in 4th overall, but as the highest finisher eligible to compete next season he will fancy his chances of claiming the crown next year.  18 year old Ray France and his brother Michael (16, the youngest competitor in the field) both impressed in finishing well up the field and look like potential future champions too.  Other riders in the final 16 who could well be back next year and hoping to do better are Pala, Marko (just 17), Lesnik and Plant (also 17).  Also still only 17 is Robbie Cormack and he was the unluckiest rider on the day as he suffered with bike problems throughout but when he did manage to get around the track he scored well, beat some highly fancied riders and might think he's due a slice of good luck as he tries to claim this title in the next few years.
 
  1. Gote Nordvall............. 3  1  3  2  3  12
  2. Hans Benkarth............. 2  2  2  3  2  11
  3. Kenni Algreen............. 3  2  3  2  1  11
  4. Janek Bartousek........... 3  3  1  2  1  10
  5. Ray France................ 2  2  0  3  2   9
  6. Michael France............ 3  1  3  1  0   8
  7. Carl McKinlay............. 1  1  0  3  3   8
  8. Jack Hagen................ 2  3  2  1  0   8
  9. Kenneth Krogh............. 2  0  3  1  0   6
 10. Janusz Pala............... 1  0  1  1  3   6
 11. Robbie Cormack............ R  N2 2  E  3   5
 12. Petr Marko................ 0  3  1  0  1   5
 13. Rickie Keyse.............. 1  0  2  0  2   5
 14. Anders Solberg............ 0  2  0  2  1   5
 15. Zeljko Lesnik............. 0  1  0  3  0   4
 16. Michael Plant............. 1  0  1  0  2   4
 17. Leo McFarlane............. 3  -  -  -  -   3
 18. Adam Bridgett............. 0  -  -  -  -   0
 
 No. Results
  1: Gote Nordvall, Ray France, Rickie Keyse, Robbie Cormack (R) 
  2: Michael France, Hans Benkarth, Michael Plant, Zeljko Lesnik 
  3: Kenni Algreen, Jack Hagen, Carl McKinlay, Anders Solberg 
  4: Janek Bartousek, Kenneth Krogh, Janusz Pala, Petr Marko 
  5: Petr Marko, Anders Solberg, Zeljko Lesnik, Rickie Keyse 
  6: Janek Bartousek, Kenni Algreen, Gote Nordvall, Michael Plant 
  7: Leo McFarlane, Hans Benkarth, Carl McKinlay, Janusz Pala 
  8: Jack Hagen, Ray France, Michael France, Kenneth Krogh 
  9: Kenneth Krogh, Rickie Keyse, Michael Plant, Carl McKinlay 
 10: Gote Nordvall, Jack Hagen, Janusz Pala, Zeljko Lesnik 
 11: Michael France, Robbie Cormack, Janek Bartousek, Anders Solberg 
 12: Kenni Algreen, Hans Benkarth, Petr Marko, Ray France 
 13: Hans Benkarth, Janek Bartousek, Jack Hagen, Rickie Keyse 
 14: Carl McKinlay, Gote Nordvall, Michael France, Petr Marko 
 15: Zeljko Lesnik, Kenni Algreen, Kenneth Krogh, Adam Bridgett 
 16: Ray France, Anders Solberg, Janusz Pala, Michael Plant 
 17: Janusz Pala, Rickie Keyse, Kenni Algreen, Michael France 
 18: Gote Nordvall, Hans Benkarth, Anders Solberg, Kenneth Krogh 
 19: Robbie Cormack, Michael Plant, Petr Marko, Jack Hagen 
 20: Carl McKinlay, Ray France, Janek Bartousek, Zeljko Lesnik 
 RUN-OFF FOR 2ND: Hans Benkarth, Kenni Algreen