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Post by schumi on Aug 20, 2007 22:50:16 GMT
Just been looking through some of the videos on grachan's website (really hope you changed your own avatar, and that I didn't do that by mistake, by the way grachan - that's where I nicked the link from) here: www.grachan.co.uk and watched Tommy doing a wheelie and falling off going over the line, then taking a bow, which rather amused me. Anyway, he's a name I'm familiar with, though not sure I ever saw him, and I know we have at least one TK fan here, so I wondered what was he like? Was he always an entertainer, or was there controversy along the way?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2007 22:59:45 GMT
Tommy was always good to watch.
He was similar to a modern day Bjarne Pedersen, in that he arrived at the track, did his job, and then went home. He never seemed to court too much controversy but was always there or thereabouts when the honours were handed out. He had an armchair style of riding and probably never really got the recognition he deserved.
And he was, of course, one of the riders who made the 1981 World Final at Wembley!!!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2007 0:17:53 GMT
Having the pleasure of watching Knudsen race for his whole career i think it rather harsh to compare him with Bjarne Pedersen. He was a cut above Pedersen and could have been Champ in 1986 barring a dodgy referring call at Katowice, when he was wiped out by Hans Nielsen. He wasn't the most spectacular but was a fantastic gater, and would dive under riders through the smallest gaps, not a round the fence style merchant. He had his fair share of bad smashes nearly losing a Thumb in a spill with Simon Wigg, and breaking his back in a crash in Australia in the off season which effectively finished his career. Amazingly he made a comeback and got back to some good form, and won a few Grand Prix at least 3 i think maybe 4 proving he could still cut it at the top. I would say Bjarne has a long way to go before he ever matches any of Knudsens achievements and would be flattered to be mentioned in the same breath. He also led the Bees to 2 league titles after Olsen retired.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2007 6:09:11 GMT
He was a cut above Pedersen and could have been Champ in 1986 barring a dodgy referring call at Katowice, when he was wiped out by Hans Nielsen. Yes, but he wasn't adverse to dishing it out either, especially when came to Hans Nielsen. He was sort of the Leigh Adams of his day. Very consistent in league racing, but never really had any luck in the World Championship.
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Post by braveheart on Aug 21, 2007 7:31:24 GMT
I wonder who that could be Tommy was definitely not Mr Controversy, nothing like the Danes of today (Hans and Nicki). Didn't really see him much, 1981 World Final, Coventry v Cradley and World Team Cup. Probably a few other times in 1985/86 but I can't remember off my head. All my info came from his fan club. Did go to his end of the season disco once. Tommy was definitely Mr Nice probably like Leigh Adams (but nicer looking ) and unfortunately was never going to win the World Championship although he was plagued by injuries.
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Post by Genghis on Aug 21, 2007 12:17:05 GMT
Having the pleasure of watching Knudsen race for his whole career i think it rather harsh to compare him with Bjarne Pedersen. He was a cut above Pedersen and could have been Champ in 1986 barring a dodgy referring call at Katowice, when he was wiped out by Hans Nielsen. Knudsen got his comeuppance there. He had a habit of riding Hans very hard, including in the 1985 final, and in return, Nielsen rode Knudsen harder than any other rider. I remember a Golden Helmet one night, after Knudsen had sent Jens Rasmussen flying twice, when Nielsen rode Knudsen right up the fence, until the point that Knudsen's footrest got wedged in the fence and ground to a halt. While Gundersen was Nielsen's biggest rival in terms of World Championships, etc, it was Nielsen and Knudsen who are the two Danes who always got into incidents with each other. I can't remember a single ocassion when Nielsen or Gundersen had each other off, who is remarkable when you consider the number of trophies they competed for at international and domestic level. As a Nielsen fan, Knudsen was "the enemy". Ultimately, Tommy was his own worst enemy. He tended to dish it out a little too often, and the result was a number of injuries that helped prevent him from taking the big one, despite the fact he had the obvious style and talent necessary to be World Champion. And, on a number of ocassions his temperament let him down. The highlight of his career was the 1985 World Team Cup Final, where for once, he stole the limelight from Hans and Erik.
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Post by Genghis on Aug 21, 2007 12:19:52 GMT
Tommy was definitely Mr Nice probably like Leigh Adams (but nicer looking ) and unfortunately was never going to win the World Championship although he was plagued by injuries. Tommy, Mr. Nice? You obviously saw different meetings to me, he was one of the hardest riders of his day. How do you think he picked up all those injuries
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Post by braveheart on Aug 21, 2007 12:28:42 GMT
I don't believe you genghis.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2007 13:18:43 GMT
My website? Good lord, do people actually look at that thing? I'd have made more effort if I'd known!
I did think of starting a thread saying: "Who's been buggering about with my avatar?", because I'm dead funny like that. But I didn't. Because I'm too nice.
I wouldn't compare Tommy with Leigh Adams really. With Leigh there is this feeling that he should have won the World Championship, but I don't think it was ever really like that with Tommy - good as he was. He wasn't particularly a "Mr Nice guy" either. I, too, remember the 1985 World Final and the Hans Nielsen thing.
He was always popular at Swindon, though, and I think that very wheelie was one of the reasons. That actual footage, by the way, made it onto Question of Sport in the "What Happened Next?" round.
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Post by braveheart on Aug 21, 2007 14:49:47 GMT
Lah, lah, not listening. I don't want the image that I had of Tommy ruined. I went to the 1985 final, I know that Gundersen won but can't remember the Tommy incident although I had some sad news the day before so probably didn't take any notice.
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Post by admin on Aug 21, 2007 15:07:58 GMT
Lah, lah, not listening. I don't want the image that I had of Tommy ruined. I went to the 1985 final, I know that Gundersen won but can't remember the Tommy incident although I had some sad news the day before so probably didn't take any notice. Tommy Knudsen, John Cook and Hans Nielsen having a bit of argy bargy and Nielsen, unbeaten at the time, ended up in a crumpled heap. I think he (Nielsen) finished third in the re-run.
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Post by Genghis on Aug 21, 2007 15:27:29 GMT
Tommy Knudsen, John Cook and Hans Nielsen having a bit of argy bargy and Nielsen, unbeaten at the time, ended up in a crumpled heap. I think he (Nielsen) finished third in the re-run. Sub, It's more the re-run, where Tommy deliberately pushed Hans wide to drop Hans from second to fourth, even though it meant he dropped from first to second in the process. Tommy wasn't riding the track at that point - SOMEONE (I wonder who!) had told him to bugger Hans up. Blantant team orders, with Knudsen under instuction from that hideous wanker Olsen. I objected to that far more than the argy bargy at the first corner. I never had a problem with Erik, but Ole & Tommy were tosspots.
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Post by admin on Aug 21, 2007 15:35:22 GMT
Anyway, my abiding memory of Tommy Knudsen and for that matter Hans Nielsen will be those ridiculous front wheels they used in the GPs in the late 1990s. You know the ones I mean, with the spokes covered.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2007 16:10:59 GMT
Anyway, my abiding memory of Tommy Knudsen and for that matter Hans Nielsen will be those ridiculous front wheels they used in the GPs in the late 1990s. You know the ones I mean, with the spokes covered. I think I know the ones you mean, with the front spoiler as well as the back? The whole Wolves team tried them out at the start of the 95 season I think, but scrapped them as they were apparently making it difficult to stay on the bike when the shale hit the front one and made it difficult to turn the wheel (allegedly) Anyway, back on topic I have no specific memory of Tommy Knudsen as a kid, I remember my dad telling me he had a bad accident and I remember watching him for Cov and him being a major threat (along with Kelv) but nothing else really sticks out.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2007 20:04:56 GMT
Anyway, my abiding memory of Tommy Knudsen and for that matter Hans Nielsen will be those ridiculous front wheels they used in the GPs in the late 1990s. You know the ones I mean, with the spokes covered. Aye, Hans had that shite on his bike when he fucked up in Vojens in 1994 when TR went through the invitation Hans had left him. Tommy Knudsen crashed in one of the Polish GPs with those guards on his front wheel and got injured. My biggest memory on Tommy Knudsen is when he won a brillant GP in Germany in Abensberg. You know the one where Gollob 'pushed' Henka out the way!!!!!
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