LEIGH Adams is already playing catch-up in the 2008 World Championship after a miserable evening at the opening round - the Slovenian Grand Prix - on Saturday night.
The world no 2, third in Krsko last year, left this time with a paltry five points to his name after an evening to forget, as Poland's Tomasz Gollob set the early pace with victory.
The Swindon Robins skipper, unfortunate to start the majority of his races from the clearly inferior outside gates, registered just one win from his five rides and finished way down the field.
Off the nightmare gate four in his opener, Adams was pipped by Britain's Scott Nicholls for third spot, but got on the board by coming in second behind Jonsson in a rerun heat eight, which he led for a time.
Changing his bikes, Adams then won heat 12 with ease, but the weather closed in and realistically ended his hopes of a semi spot.
Off gate three in the 16th, he was last as Gollob won from the inside, then was at the back again in heat 20.
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Gollob meanwhile, recorded the 12th meeting win of his career, and a result which gives him an early two-point lead in the overall race on a night when no one rider was able to dominate.
The entire 16-man field were separated by just six points, 13 managing heat wins, as Gollob held off 2007 world champion Nicki Pedersen in a rerun final.
Pedersen led the points totals midway through the meeting, but heavy rain after heat 12 changed the whole complexion of the track, with inside gates holding sway.
That was to Adams' disadvantage, in contrast to Gollob who also avoided the worst of the weather.
In a dramatic final, Sweden's Andreas Jonsson was excluded after touching the tapes and Gollob was out first in the restart, Pedersen getting past countryman Hans Andersen to bag second spot and a satisfactory start to his title defence.
GP POINTS: Tomasz Gollob 19, Nicki Pedersen 17, Hans Andersen 14, Andreas Jonsson 12, Jason Crump 10, Lukas Dryml 9, Greg Hancock 8, Niels-Kristian Iversen 8, Scott Nicholls 7, Fredrik Lindgren 7, Matej Zagar 7, Krzysztof Kasprzak 6, Chris Harris 6, Rune Holta 5, Leigh Adams 5, Bjarne Pedersen 4.
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