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Olympic Edition
- news - results - div one - div two - div three - statistics - averages - honours - - rider search: gsa/age - rider search: name - transfer list - international standings/averages -
Comment now on the latest news at the Forum IN-SPIRED Chesterfield rout earns Rifles third title Long Eaton secured a first league championship title in seven years with a stunning 37-53 final day victory at Chesterfield’s Spire Ground. It’s ten years since the Rifles have recorded a bigger competitive win away from home, the rout a fitting end to a season which also saw them claim 4TT success. Just a 30 mile trip up the M1 for the Long Eaton fans who were out in force for the title decider, but the two clubs were as far apart as possible in the standings going into the fixture, the hosts ten points detached at the bottom of division one, the visitors arriving as league leaders by a point. Given their superior points difference over second placed Belfast, a draw would have realistically been enough for the Rifles, but they would win and win in style. They completed their seventh away success of the division one campaign with the help of 13 heat victories from their riders, five going the way of Adam Lucas (15) who completed his ninth maximum—a personal record—of the league season with a last heat victory over the only rider to score in double figures for the hosts, Eirik Mehus (14). Both Ethan Robertson (13) and Marek Wieczorek (10) dropped just a single point apiece to an opponent in the meeting, while 21 year old Alex Peck (8+2) was amongst the heat winners in what will be his final appearance at reserve for a while, the youngster earning his first official career GSA above three following the meeting, with his mark increasing from 3.00 to 7.10. Promoter Martin Smith will struggle to build a side with the SL10 BU16 Champion in it next term, however that’s a problem for another day, for now Smith and his riders can enjoy the celebrations.
TODAY: Shorts Belfast pushed Long Eaton all the way with a season ending run of nine unbeaten in the league. A 43-47 victory at Houston the final result in that sequence, but in the end it was only good enough to see the five-times champions finish as division one runners-up for a second successive season. It was the Sinks second victory over Houston in four days, an earlier 48-41 home win over the Scot’s securing Paul Hunt’s side a record extending fifth KO Cup triumph. Five points the winning margin, with aggregate success wrapped up by a home side 4-2 in the penultimate race, Sarkis Devin (14) beating the disappointing Maris Zizilev (4) in claiming his fourth straight victory of the night in what proved to be the competition decider. Houston had beaten Belfast on both previous occasions the two sides had met in the final, taking the trophy at their expense in SL1 and SL14.
Stoke’s Samuel Hill (10) has become only the second rider from division three to win the World Championship after topping the GP standings following the final round in Warsaw. There’s no ‘third tier’ about the skill level of the 31 year old—who also becomes the second champion from Australian after two-time winner Cameron Adams—he having averaged smack on 11.00 in the league this season, Hill only the second rider in six years to attain such a high mark in the UK. Only Harry Nicholls (10) could beat him in the overall standings heading into their final set of races in Warsaw, the Brit’s second place finish in heat 17 meant the title race was over, Hill could run a last in heat 20—which he did!—and still top the pile. Nicholls held on to second place overall, with Stephan Beck (8) winning heat 20 to take the World Championship bronze medal. Long Eaton’s Ethan Robertson (12) won the meeting in Poland, remarkably in doing so he becomes the eighth different winner in as many GP’s this season.
Four teams went into the final day of the season with hopes of landing one of the two promotion places that remained up for grabs in division two. Sedgley and Swinton would prevail in the battle, the former clinching second behind Mansfield with a 49-41 home win over Shetland, while Swinton secured third with a draw at Wednesfield as rivals Bournville and Wavendon both suffered defeats on the road. Swinton will race in the top flight for the first time ever in SL17 having now recorded back-to-back promotions, the Steve Pearce side won the division three title last season. Sedgley meanwhile return to the highest level after just one season away, the spell will be the fourth in the top flight for one of the league founder members.
Heartbreak for Southend in division three who lost both bonus points in race-offs this week and as a result end fourth. The third promotion place went to SL16 rookies East Hull—promoted by Stephen Burgess—who all but sealed that spot with a penultimate round 54-36 home win over Stoke. Despite that result Stoke went up in second and would have even took the third tier title but for a final day home victory for Harringay over Heath. It’s the third time Jonathan Symes’s Hoods have claimed the third tier crown, no other side have won it more than once! Both they and Andy Harvey’s Stoke will be riding in division two for a third spell.
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