CHRIS Holder has shrugged off the disappointment of throwing away the Elite League Riders’ Championship title by saying: “I’m still happy that Leigh Adams won it.”

Pirates’ star added: “Obviously I wanted to win it, but it just didn’t go my way in the final at Coventry.

“I made a really good start. Then I made the wrong decision on where to go on the first turn.

“But I hope to get plenty more goes at it.

“Third was an improvement on last year when I was fifth after finishing third in the semi.

“This time I made the final and chose gate two, which worked out to be the right one.

“I just didn’t get the run I needed in the first corner (after getting out in front first), and they (Adams and Harris) cut back and got on the right line and that was the end of it for me.

“I went a bit too wide. I didn’t think the boys would be able to cut back and get inside.

“It was a shame, but they’d graded the track after heat 20.

“I thought it would be okay and I did the same things as earlier, but the dirt wasn’t there, although I was still surprised they both got through.

“But I’d beaten Leigh earlier and only dropped points to Ed (Kennett) and Hans (Andersen), so apart from the final race I was happy.”

Holder, who top-scored in the qualifiers with 13 points alongside Coventry’s Harris, one more than Swindon rider Adams’ 12, continued: “I’m disappointed, but still happy for Leigh.

“It’s one of the only trophies he hadn’t won during his 20 years or so in Britain, that and the world title, and now he has won it, so it’s great for him.

“Well done to Leigh. He’s a great guy and deserves to have claimed the ELRC accolade at some stage in his career because he’s been so good for so long.”

Robins spearhead Adams said: “That’s my first one and I’m pretty pumped about that.

“I’ve had a few opportunities to win it before and it has never happened, but it was nice to do it here at Coventry.

“I was lucky because I didn’t make a good start and first corner in the final, but I managed to make it work.

“The bike was working well and I had quite a lot of pace all night.

“We were all pretty close down the back straight but I managed to get some fresh air.”