FREDDIE Lindgren had warned the World Championship old stagers that he and Chris Holder were coming to get them.

But the Swede was only half right as Tomasz Gollob and Jason Crump stole the show in Denmark.

Both Holder and Lindgren, undoubtedly two world champions in the making, showed glimpses of class in Denmark, but it was Gollob, imperious out in front, and Crump, gritty, determined and wily, who showed the youngsters how it is done.

Greg Hancock also joined in the age debate by showing the nippers his back wheel, but he was left trailing in the final.

Pirates star Holder got off to a great start, with second place in heat one and three points in heat five. Lindgren, meanwhile, racked up three points from his opening two rides.

Holder found himself chasing the old men in heat nine as Nicki Pedersen and Crump stormed out in front, but both Pedersen and Chris Harris were excluded following separate incidents.

It was left for Holder and Crump to do battle in the second re-run but, in truth, Holder looked defeated even before the tapes had gone up.

Lindgren, meanwhile, showed his steely side by picking himself off the shale following a nasty spill in heat 10 and notching a race win in the re-run.

It was all going very nicely for Holder, too, with the Aussie settling for second behind masterful Gollob in heat 13.

Holder and Lindgren clashed in heat 17, meanwhile, and were faced with Mr Experience himself in Hancock.

The American came flying out of gate four to take the lead, with Holder nestling in behind. Lindgren managed to get the better of Artem Laguta and claim third.

But again it was a victory for the veterans.

Lindgren almost overhauled Crump in semi-final one but lifted at a key moment and let the former world champion in for second place behind Hancock.

And Holder was dealt the same hand by Gollob in semi-final two, with the Pole showing all his experience to lead at the first turn.

Despite pressure from Jarek Hampel, though, Holder did what Lindgren could not and booked himself a berth in the final.

And what a final it was.

Holder looked to have done the hard work when he burst from the gate to take the lead, but Gollob came from nowhere round the outside to teach the young Aussie a lesson.

Crump, meanwhile, was doing battle with Hancock at the back before the former Pirate unleashed his party piece.

Storming past Hancock on the last lap, Crump set his sights on Holder and pulled the move of the night to ease round the outside of his young countryman on the final turn of the race.

It was simply stunning from Crump and showed, if proof were needed, that while the likes of Lindgren and Holder are close to making a mark on the GP series, there is life in the old dogs yet.

Holder’s third place left him in fifth overall in the standings on 42 points.

• Pirates travel to Belle Vue tonight without Darcy Ward, Davey Watt and Christian Hefenbrock, who are all in a GP qualifier.