PIRATES top gun Jason Crump is determined to rediscover his Grand Prix appetite over the winter, after admitting he "wasn't hungry enough when the world championship started".

The Australian finished third in Saturday's German GP in Gelsenkirchen, as Lakeside's Andreas Jonsson won the meeting ahead of Greg Hancock to claim the huge $100,000 prize.

As well as missing out on speedway's biggest ever payday, Crump also saw his run of six consecutive top two finishes in the world championship end.

New world number one Nicki Pedersen and runner-up Leigh Adams claimed the gold and silver medals.

But Crump is determined to relight his GP fire during the coming months and come back fighting for his third world title next year.

He said: "I am not over excited with just the bronze.

"I really wanted better than that but I recognised earlier this season that it wasn't going to be another championship win for me.

"Now I will spend some extensive, quality time with the family during the winter.

"I'll get the hunger back in my belly and come back with a different approach in 2008."

Crump's third-placed finish meant the reigning Aussie champion finished the season without a GP round victory for the first time since 1999.

But he was rewarded for his determination to turn his indifferent start around and at least remain on the rostrum.

He added: "Nicki and Leigh went heaps better but I re-aligned my goals to at least ensure that I took something away with me this year.

"When I look back, maybe I wasn't hungry enough when the championship started.

"I had such a great series in 2006 it felt as though I was just riding for fun, so perhaps I hadn't prepared myself mentally."

Despite finishing last in his first outing, Bjarne Pedersen produced an electrifying gating display to reach the semis on 10 points.

With the track slicker than your average ice rink early on, this proved vital, as very little passing took place.

But the circuit worked against him in the first staging of his semi, as Hans Andersen caught a rut on turn three and took his compatriot into the fence.

The Peterborough man was excluded but Pedersen could not make his second chance count, as Adams and Crump shot up his inside and reached the grand final.

This did not dampen his spirits, though, and Pedersen is determined to take his high scoring form into 2008.

He said: "I was pretty pleased to finish this year with a double figure score - my best of the year.

"I'm feeling the effects of that fall I had and my leg is a bit sore.

"But it was just one of those things and I wasn't quite able to make it in the re-run.

"It's now down to preparing for a better season next year, as I haven't done myself justice this season."

Aside from the big money chase, Scott Nicholls, Chris Harris and Rune Holta were tied on 91 points and required a run-off to decide who earned the final two automatic places in next year's series.

The Norwegian won at a canter but Nicholls required a controversial move to join him.

He appeared to knock fellow Coventry rider Harris off, as he charged under on lap four, turn one.

But the referee declined to stop the race and now Harris must rely on receiving a seeded spot for the 2008 competition.

  • Additional reporting by Steve Allen.