Monday 11th June 2012, 16:43

Nicki Pedersen has hit back at claims from Chris Holder that he “played” to get the Aussie excluded from the FIM Dansk Metal Danish SGP semi-finals on Saturday.

Speaking to Speedwaygp.com, the Sydneysider said Pedersen had eased off at the end of the third lap and took the hit in a bid to earn himself a re-run and keep his meeting alive.

Holder was controversially disqualified by referee Wojciech Grodzki, although Pedersen was also thrown out after tumbling under pressure from eventual runner-up Freddie Lindgren in the re-run.

The Danish champion concedes that his bike was spinning and he didn’t have the setup for the slickening track. But the Odense-born man believes Holder left him no room going into turn one.

He said: “Into the turn there was no space for me. What does he want me to do? I can’t really stay on it if there’s no room and that’s part of the game.

“I don’t want to crash at a speed like that at the end of the straight, but it seemed like I had to at that time. I didn’t play for that – it just didn’t go my way.”

He added: “I don’t know if I was a little bit under power in that one – I was probably spinning or something. That’s why people can push you.

“On a small and slick track like this, there’s nothing that stops you at all. That means you go from first to third or first to crashing even. I guess that’s racing.”

Pedersen also feels Lindgren didn’t leave him much room when he ducked under the Danish international at speed on lap two, turn three.

The Gdansk man slipped off and when into the fence, arms aloft in protest. The race was stopped, but this time Pedersen was on the receiving end of the exclusion.

Reflecting on the moment his dreams of Copenhagen glory were dashed, he said: “I went to the fence, came back again and Freddie came in fast. 

“He knows small tracks and he likes to come in on the white line and lock it up. I was there, but he didn’t leave me any room. I think it was a 50/50. I was in front and I could do what I wanted nine out of 10 times.

“There are times when you come from the back and don’t get excluded, but that’s racing.”

Pedersen is third in the World Championship on 65 points – 10 behind leader Hancock. He will hope to close the gap on his former Polish home track in the FIM Gorzow SGP of Poland on June 23.

There was no doubting his passion at PARKEN and the rider is keen to keep his chin up and bounce back.

He said: “We tried as much as we could in Copenhagen and it didn’t work out. I just can’t wait to get to the outdoor tracks again. I’ll make my gates in Gorzow and I’ll be alright.”

To read Holder’s thoughts on his Copenhagen clash with Pedersen, click here: http://speedwaygp.com/news/article/1463/holder-nicki-played-for-fall.

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