Crump Triumphs in Wroclaw

JASON Crump had plenty to celebrate in Wroclaw on Saturday after winning his first Grand Prix of the 2006 season.

Australia's Crump, who was second in the opening round in Slovenia, stormed to victory in the final ahead of America's Greg Hancock, Matej Zagar of Slovenia and home favourite Jaroslaw Hampel.

But the failure of Denmark's Nicki Pedersen to make the final and build upon his victory in round one, means Crump now has a six point lead at the head of the championship table.

Hancock looked odds on favourite to win the Dominet European Grand Prix winning his first four races in fine style, including a victory over Nicki Pedersen. But then Hancock was excluded from his fifth ride for causing Bjarne Pedersen to crash.

Nicki Pedersen headed the qualifying rounds scores with 14, one more than Crump. In the semis Hancock, looking very fast all night, beat Crump while in the second Zagar and Hampel made their first finals of the year.

Hancock actually led the final but could not stop Crump, who now races for the local Wroclaw team in the Polish league, from taking the chequered flag.

Crump was understandably ecstatic afterwards. Not only had he collected the maximum 25 points, he had won in front of his Polish sponsors for the first time.

Hancock was also pleased with his performance, as was Zagar, now the first rider from Slovenia to win a place on the rostrum.

Defending World Champion Tony Rickardsson was strangely out of sorts all night. He failed to win a race in five starts and did not qualify for the semis.

In fact it was a bitterly disappointing night for the Swedes, who stage round three of the World Championship in Eskilstuna on May 20. In addition to Rickardsson, both Andreas Jonsson and Antonio Lindback were struggling.

Britain's Scott Nicholls did at least reach the semis, despite suffering an exclusion for tape-touching, but once again he failed to progress to the final four.

Dominet European Grand Prix: 
J.Crump (Australia) 25, 
G.Hancock (USA) 20, 
M.Zagar (Slovenia) 18, 
J.Hampel (Poland) 16, 
N.Pedersen (Denmark) 14, 
S.Nicholls (England) 9, 
T.Gollob (Poland) 9, 
L.Adams (Australia) 7, 
N-K.Iversen (Denmark) 6, 
B.Pedersen (Denmark) 6, 
K.Kasprzak (Poland) 6, 
T.Rickardsson (Sweden) 6, 
A.Jonsson (Sweden) 5,  
L.Richardson (England) 4, 
P.Protasiewicz (Poland) 3, 
A.Lindback (Sweden) 2.

Grand Prix points:
J. Crump 45, 
N.Pedersen 39, 
T.Gollob 27, 
M.Zagar 27, 
G.Hancock 25, 
T.Rickardsson 22, 
J.Hampel 20, 
S.Nicholls 18, 
L.Adams 17, 
A.Jonsson 13, 
L.Richardson 12, 
B.Pedersen 11. 
A.Lindback 11, 
N-K.Iversen 8, 
K.Kasprzak 6, 
P.Protasiewicz 4, 
M.Ferjan 3.