The love-hate relationship between top speedway riders Nicki Pedersen and Oxford Silver Machine skipper Greg Hancock reared its ugly head again at the British Grand Prix in Cardiff on Saturday.

The incident in heat 16, when Hancock was sent crashing by Pedersen, effectively ended the Californian's bid to to hang on to the title he had won last year

At that stage, Hancock, who had scored five points,was on course for the semi-finals.

But, in a very tight second bend squeeze, Pedersen took Hancock's front wheel away and also caused Pole Tomasz Chrzanowski to crash.

Pedersen was loudly booed after the incident followed by huge cheers when the referee excluded him.

The feud had began with a serious crash last year when former Oxford No 1 Pedersen was widely criticised after almost putting Hancock in hospital.

Pedersen was also the main culprit in a heat 11 crash when his fellow countryman Bjarne Pedersen came to grief.

Oxford teammate Billy Hamill, said: "Nicki is treating this like a rollerball game - he's just wiping people out. The referee made the right decision."

Pedersen claimed that Hancock was leaning in on him, but Hancock tried to pull up before the incident and then just let the bike go.

Hancock, was clearly injured and received treatment for some time by the paramedics before taking his place in the re-run.

He came out on a new bike after the first one was wrecked, but could never make much impression on his rivals.

His last chance to make the semi-finals came in heat 17, but by now his bruised and battered body had had enough.

He briefly held third spot, but when young Brit Edward Kennett passed him, you somehow knew it was the end of the road for the Oxford skipper.