Bjarne's Copenhagen blues

The Poole Castle Cover star went into his final qualifying heat needing a win, or possibly even a second place, to get into the last eight in Copenhagen.

But going off the inside gate, Pedersen was out-trapped by Jason Crump and came off the second bend behind the rider he was chosen in front of to spearhead the Dorset club this year.

Two points might have been enough for Pedersen to scramble into the semis, but he was stunned when Krzysztof Kasprzak, who had done little all night, suddenly edged past him on the back straight.

So it was the rider Poole brought in as a 28-day temporary replacement for Pedersen while he was sidelined with a broken wrist last month who put the Dane's progress in Copenhagen in doubt.

Pedersen finally finished third in the race, but could still have gone through on seven points if Andreas Jonsson won heat 20.

The Swede, however, was left trailing at the back as Leigh Adams took the chequered flag to move into the top eight and condemn Pedersen to 10th.

Pedersen's seven points almost trebled his tally going into the meeting. He now has 11 and remains 15th in the overall standings.

Twenty-four points adrift of a coveted top eight re-qualification place before tonight's action, the Dane now trails that spot by 27 with seven rounds to go.

Greg Hancock outgated Pedersen in heat one before Jonsson and Fredrik Lindgren relegated the Poole rider to fourth.

But the Pirate scorched outside Lindgren on the last lap to salvage third.

Pedersen got a fighting second behind Nicki Pedersen but in front of Scott Nicholls in race five.

Then Bjarne won heat nine after producing a blistering gate off trap three to beat Hans Andersen, Chris Harris and Adams.

The race that really cost Bjarne dear was the re-run to heat 13 after he had been fortunate to survive with an all-four-back refereeing ruling after losing control of his bike and sending Tomasz Gollob sprawling on the second bend.

Bjarne, off the outside gate, made a poor start in the re-run and was left trailing at the back behind wild card Kenneth Bjerre - bravely riding with a metal rod inserted in a broken thigh - Niels-Kristian Iversen and Gollob.

Kasprzak, who had only got one point up until then, squeezed past Bjarne on the back straight in race 17 to relegate the Dane to third and silence a 28,000 crowd in the Parken Stadium who had hoped to see a fourth home rider reach the semis.

Gollob celebrated his 100th GP appearance by beating reigning champion Nicki Pedersen in the final, with Crump third and Andersen fourth.

Nicki (69 points) stretched his lead in the overall standings to 11 points, with Gollob (58) second, Crump (48) third and Hancock (44) fourth.

Gollob, as winner of tonight's meeting, joined Rune Holta in the line up for the Super Prix final at Gelsenkirchen in October.

The winner of that one-off race will pocket $120,000.

Danish Grand Prix, Copenhagen Qualifiers: Nicki Pedersen (3-3-3-2-3) 14, Jason Crump (1-3-3-3-3) 13, Kenneth Bjerre (2-3-0-3-3) 11, Tomasz Gollob (2-2-3-1-2) 10, Hans Andersen (3-1-2-3-0) 9, Greg Hancock (2-3-1-1-2) 9, Leigh Adams (3-2-0-0-3) 8, Andreas Jonsson (3-1-2-2-0) 8, Rune Holta (1-2-1-3-0) 7, Bjarne Pedersen (1-2-3-0-1) 7, Scott Nicholls (0-1-2-2-2) 7, Niels-Kristian Iversen (1-0-2-2-1) 6, Chris Harris (2-0-1-0-0) 3, Krzysztof Kasprzak (0-0-0-1-2) 3, Fredrik Lindgren (0-1-fell exc-1-1) 3, Lukas Dryml (0-0-exc two mins-0-1) 1. Reserves: Nicolai Klindt (1) 1, Patrick Hougaard dnr.

Referee: Wojciech Grodski (Poland).

Ht 1: Jonsson, Hancock, B Pedersen, Lindgren.

Ht 2: Andersen, Bjerre, Crump, Nicholls.

Ht 3: Adams, Gollob, Holta, Dryml.

Ht 4: N Pedersen, Harris, Iversen, Kasprzak.

Ht 5: N Pedersen, B Pedersen, Nicholls, Dryml.

Ht 6: Hancock, Holta, Andersen, Iversen.

Ht 7: Bjerre, Adams, Lindgren, Kasprzak.

Ht 8: Crump, Gollob, Jonsson, Harris.

Ht 9: Pedersen, Andersen, Harris, Adams.

Ht 10: Gollob, Nicholls, Hancock, Kasprzak.

Ht 11: (re-run) Crump, Iversen, Klindt, Dryml (excluded two minutes), Lindgren (fell excluded).

Ht 12: N Pedersen, Jonsson, Holta, Bjerre.

Ht 13: Bjerre, Iversen, Gollob, B Pedersen.

Ht 14: Crump, N Pedersen, Hancock, Adams.

Ht 15: Holta, Nicholls, Lindgren, Harris.

Ht 16: Andersen, Jonsson, Kasprzak, Dryml.

Ht 17: Crump, Kasprzak, B Pedersen, Holta.

Ht 18: Bjerre, Hancock, Dryml, Harris.

Ht 19: N Pedersen, Gollob, Lindgren, Andersen.

Ht 20: Adams, Nicholls, Iversen, Jonsson.

Semi-finals Ht 21: Gollob, N Pedersen, Hancock, Adams.

Ht 22: Crump, Andersen, Jonsson, Bjerre.

Final Ht 23: Gollob, N Pedersen, Crump, Andersen.

Grand Prix points: (after four rounds of 11) 1 N Pedersen 69, 2 Gollob 58 pts, 3 Crump 48, 4 Hancock 44, 5 Adams 42, 6 Andersen 39, 7 Lindgren 39, 8 Jonsson 38, 9 Holta 33, 10 Iversen 26, 12 Nicholls 23, 12 Harris 20, 13 Kasprzak 17, 14 Dryml 15, 15 B Pedersen 11. Standings do not include wild cards.