The Swindon Robins are Saturday’s visitors to the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium but it will be a much changed line-up for both teams who are without certain key riders.
The Robins have two of their seven riders unavailable because captain Troy Batchelor and Peter Kildemand are appearing at the Gorcian Stadium in Croatia where they are competing in a semi-final of the Grand Prix Challenge. The Wiltshire club have called upon the Lakeside rider Davey Watt to guest for them in place of Batchelor and have elected to cover for Kildemand’s absence by sharing his rides out amongst his team-mates.
Whilst Swindon are missing two riders, the Rapid Solicitors Lions are without three from the main body of the team as on the same day Mads Korneliussen, Jason Doyle and new signing Nikolai Klindt will be competing in the second semi-final of the Grand Prix Challenge qualifying competition at Czestochowa in Poland. The Polish track has happy memories for Klindt who was crowned the Under-19 European Champion there in 2007.
The seven highest scorers from each semi-final will progress to a final at Lonigo in Northern Italy and from there the prize for the top three riders is a place in next season’s Grand Prix competition. “It is unfortunate that both teams will be without star riders as we are both paying for their success in the competition. I am pleased with our trio of guests who have all shown good form at Leicester and I just hope that we have chosen wisely as we are in urgent need of a win” stated the Lions Team Manager Norrie Allan.
Leicester have named Eastbourne rider Bjarne Pedersen as the replacement for Doyle and Rory Schlein, who was joint top scorer for the Lions at Lakeside on Friday, will deputise for Korneliussen. At number four, Ashley Birks, will take the place of Klindt and he faces Swindon the team he rode for last season before picking up an injury.
Teams
Leicester: 1. Bjarne Pedersen, 2. Simon Stead, 3. Rory Schlein, 4. Ashley Birks, 5. Krzysztof Buczkowski, 6. Josh Bates and 7. Max Clegg
Swindon: 1. Rider Replacement, 2. Dakota North, 3. Nick Morris, 4. Simon Gustafsson, 5. Davey Watt, 6. Nathan Greaves and 7. Steven Worrall.
