Slovenian GP: Pedersen takes opener.

The 2006 Speedway Grand Prix series kicked-off in tremendous style in Krsko, Slovenia, on Saturday night with Denmark's Nicki Pedersen winning for the first time in two years ahead of Australian Jason Crump and Poland's Tomasz Gollob.

There could have been no better advert for speedway as the evening's 23 races on a superb track at the Stadion Matije produced some of the best racing seen since the inception of the Grand Prix 11 years ago.

The myth that 'first out of the gate' wins speedway races was laid firmly to bed from start to finish with rider after rider coming from nowhere to win vital heats.

And the drama and excitement ran right through to the Final with Pedersen being handed the worst of the four starting positions yet coming through to storm ahead of Crump and Gollob with defending World Champion Tony
Rickardsson at the back.

Pedersen, the 2003 World Champion, and Crump, who took over the mantle 12 months later, battled neck and neck, at times bouncing into each other in their determination to take the chequered flag and the opening round of the 2006 Championship.

Pedersen will be going into hospital in Denmark on Monday to have operations on each of his arms, treatment to a long-standing and painful complaint, which could yet rule him out of the next Grand Prix, in Wroclaw, Poland, on May 6.

"I knew I had the worst gate but just had to go for it," admitted Pedersen, "I have only been able to give 90 per cent because of my injury but as the track got slicker it became easier for me to ride.

"I am sure I will be able to compete in Poland but I want to be able to give 100 per cent in all the GPs, nothing less."

Crump paid tribute to an opponent he has often fought tooth and nail. "Nicki dopesn't give an inch and doesn't ask for anything in return. You know what you get with him and I am proud to have been part of such a great race.

"I am really pleased to have got second after only making the Final because Leigh Adams stopped in his semi. But that has happened to me on this same track before."

In the early stages Rickardsson, who won all seven of his races in the final Grand Prix of 2005 in Lonigo, Italy, looked unbeatable yet again. But as the night wore on his dropped a couple of points yet still finished as the top
qualifier with 13.

That gave him first choice of gate positions in both the semi and final but he was unable to add to his list of Grand Prix successes.

American Greg Hancock opened the proceedings with a confident win in Heat 1 but then tailed off, but the unluckiest man of the night was undoubtedly Adams. He was cruising into the final when his bike quit on the last lap of the semi.

There was no great joy for Great Britain's pair either, though Scott Nicholls did at least reach the semis. Ironically, the point he dropped on the last lap of his fifth ride cost fellow countryman Lee Richardson, who
won two races, a place in the semis.

Local favourite Matej Zagar won his last two races to reach the last eight while young Swede Antonio Lindback also came back strongly.

FIM 2006 Grand Prix of Slovenia:

N.Pedersen (Denmark) 25, J.Crump (Australia) 20, T.Gollob (Poland) 18, T.Rickardsson (Sweden) 16, L.Adams (Australia) 10, M.Zagar (Slovenia) 9, A.Lindback (Sweden) 9, S.Nicholls (Great Britain) 9, L.Richardson (Great
Britain) 8, A.Jonsson (Sweden) 8, G.Hancock (USA) 5, B.Pedersen (Denmark) 5, J.Hampel (Poland) 4, M.Ferjan (Slovenia) 3, N.K.Iversen (Denmark) 2, P.Protasiewicz (Poland) 1.