It's the Speedway World Cup! (56k warning)

[gmen]

Last night saw a trip to not-so sunny Swindon for Event One of the Speedway World Cup. Media access was not quite what I had expected as no photogs were allowed into the centre of the track during the racing. Most bizarre. It transpired that this was due to the large quantity of pyrotechnics that had been rigged up in the centrefield for a display at the end of the meeting. So all the action was shot over the fence from a couple of specially provided viewing platforms. Apologies for the limited angles... but such is life!

A couple of team photos to start. The successful Team GB...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt001.jpg

The not-so-successful Team Russia...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt00.jpg

The racing was intense. Team GB (yellow helmet) out in front in this heat...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt004.jpg

...and leading again!

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt002.jpg

The Russian (red helmet) and Danish riders give their bikes some air in pursuit of their Czech opponent...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt009.jpg

A very crowded first bend... from left to right: GB (in a rare last place), Denmark, Czech Republic, Russia

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt010.jpg

Racing away down the back straight... shame they didn't line up in numerical order really!

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt007.jpg

A champers celebration for the victorious GB riders...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt012.jpg

...and those 'blasted' fireworks to finish...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt015.jpg

[ryno4youth]

Great shots, I love the wine celebration one.

[gmen]

Great shots, I love the wine celebration one.Cheers ryno4youth! It's always nice having your gear showered in champagne! :D

Here's another shot from the day... it's just a grab shot of the closest finish of the evening as GB's Simon Stead sneaks up on the outside of Denmark's Bjarne Pedersen to take Heat 2 right on the line. It also serves to show some of the enthusiastic crowd that gathered to enjoy no less than 25 heats of speedway!

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt020.jpg

[3oh6]

they are definately enthusiastic...the top shots are great. i concur on the celebration shot, looks like its snowing. #3 is really working for me too, i think its the angle or something. http://images.zeroforum.com/smile/emthup.gif http://images.zeroforum.com/smile/emthup.gif

[DwightMcCann]

Ooooh! Ahhhhhhhhh! Lovely, lovely mud and champagne!

[blinking8s]

the girls the girls! more photos of the girls!

and do you have any photos of them all muddy afterwards? maybe workin on their bike, or stressed out? that stuff would be cool filler photos

[iSellJerseyShore]

Action, Action & MORE ACTION!!! Nice Crisp Clear Shots!





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iSellJerseyShore
www.iSellJerseyShore.com (http://www.iSellJerseyShore.com)

[mijbril]

Love the hot down the back straight :)

[gmen]

the girls the girls! more photos of the girls!

and do you have any photos of them all muddy afterwards? maybe workin on their bike, or stressed out? that stuff would be cool filler photos
The girls were somewhat elusive *lol* unlike those ring girls...

The media access was also rather restricted as well - so, no muddy post-meeting pics... however, here are some 'fillers'...

A champagne-covered GB team manager Neil Middleditch being interviewed by Sky Sports...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt021.jpg

A Russian rider checks his bike over in the pits before battle commences...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt022.jpg

Not the best place to try to win a race from...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt023.jpg

Oh, yes, the girls (with the boys) again...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt024.jpg

[gmen]

Ooooh! Ahhhhhhhhh! Lovely, lovely mud and champagne!Thanks Dwight.... did you notice the subtly different set of helmet colours that are used for these international events? :eek:

--- Gavin

[DwightMcCann]

Gavin, first I did not miss your comment about the ring girls and I will try to visually acknowledge it in the near future. :-) Yes, I did notice they were not green and yellow and was very confused! But, with only four girls to five guys I thought perhaps it was to offset the number of adverts on the uniforms (now that isn't very logical is it?)! I do agree that finishing the series with mud wrestling wimmin' would be killer, sigh.

[gmen]

Gavin, first I did not miss your comment about the ring girls and I will try to visually acknowledge it in the near future. :-) Yes, I did notice they were not green and yellow and was very confused! But, with only four girls to five guys I thought perhaps it was to offset the number of adverts on the uniforms (now that isn't very logical is it?)! I do agree that finishing the series with mud wrestling wimmin' would be killer, sigh.
Mud wrestling women... now there's a sport and a half... I'll check with my editor to see if there's any on the agenda ;)

These speedway guys love their adverts.... on their leathers, on their bikes... logos and stuff all over the place... must be a motorsport thing.

It seems that these helmet colours are the the original/traditional colours that were used in speedway. A couple of years ago for some reason (unknown to me) the white helmet was changed to a green one by the British Speedway authorities - the new ruling only applied to the domestic league. Most odd.

[DwightMcCann]

I would hope the Essex lassies, smeared in mud (preferably only mud), would be proud to be exposed to the world via POTN ... although perhaps in the glamour forum for subtle, but obvious, reasons, even though it would clearly be sport! And any editor worth his salt would certainly be covering such events, if they existed!

[DwightMcCann]

Gavin, here's the visual appreciation I mentioned earlier!

[DwightMcCann]

And here!

[gmen]

Gavin, here's the visual appreciation I mentioned earlier!
Very nice Dwight... *lol* I am feeling very visually appreciative... and just found another shot of the speedway girls (and boys)...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/dt013.jpg

--- Gavin

[DwightMcCann]

Love the way that one on the right is standing! And now I know where that mud ends up!

[gmen]

Love the way that one on the right is standing! And now I know where that mud ends up!
*lol* These guys were (relatively) clean all things considered - perhaps they'd been hosed down before the presentation! I'll have to trawl the archives for some proper mud fest images...

---- Gavin

[DwightMcCann]

Gavin, I will adjust my muddiness expectations! Man, I just can't take my eyes off that girl on the right!!!

[Dave_G]

she's cracking!