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Regent Edition - ENHANCED
- 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 BACK FROM THE DEAD Rugby duo regain Pairs Rugby’s (25) remarkable recent record in the Club Pairs Championship continued with their second win in the competition in three seasons. Zgmunt Jablonski (13) and Valeri Elin (12) regained the title they lost to Whitemoor—who didn’t even make the final this time around—last season, with a last heat 5-1 over Newington in this weeks decider at Kesgrave securing them a two point victory over Coalville (23). It’s a second podium in three years for the Cobras, but that achievement pales into insignificance when compared to that of the Gravediggers, who have now finished either first or second in each of the last five seasons, having also took bronze medals the year before that. Elin has been half of that partnership in all six of the half-dozen straight podiums, with Jablonski taking over from Bryan Baah halfway through the run. The final race maximum was one of four recorded on the night by the eventual champions, with the three in their first four outings to the track against Sedgemoor Wimbledon and then Netherton taking them level at the top of the meeting standings from the fast starting Coalville partnership of Anton Cirar (16) and Miroslaw Nosal (7). Coalville’s hopes that their top pair would secure them a first piece of silverware in only their third season in the sport were dashed when they came up against Glasshoughton (22) in heat 15, top scorer on the night, Michael Langhorne (17), leading around Adam Schofield for their first 5-1 of the final to put themselves in with a shot of the title. Coalville recovered to take a 4-2 against Rugby in heat 18, although that result saw them re-take the lead at that stage, it would only delay the Gravediggers title victory.TODAY: Shorts Sedgemoor reach the first change in GSA’s of the season two points clear at the head of the division one standings. In winning their then top of the table clash at Chalvington they certainly laid down their marker for the rest of the season, the Rebels looking more like the team that won back-to-back titles in SL26 and 27 rather than the one that finished just one place above the relegation zone last season. That they recorded their second away victory of the campaign without their prolific reserve Adam Ryan—a rider who was paid for 13 in their win at Whitemoor last week—only boosts their credentials further, his replacement 19 year old James Sheppard on his seasonal debut, scoring 6+1 at reserve in only his third career league start. Three of those points came in a heat two 5-1, the first of two successive maximums which earned the Rebels an early eight point lead in the clash, George Bull (8+1) and Vitas Kolesnichenko (11+1) combined for the second. A run of five heat advantages in six races and six wins in seven meant the hosts led though going into heat 12, a race which would turn the meeting again the way of the visitors. An untimely fall for Dylan Gibson handed Kolesnichenko and Sheppard a 5-1, with Bull and then Magnar Kozlowski (12) going on to win decisive 4-2’s in turn in heats 14 and 15. After dropping their first home points of the campaign, Chalvington went on to earn their second on the road with a draw at Nottingham, Edward Puckett raced to two wins for the visitors on his way to a season best of nine, a campaign high too for heat leader Filip Sarka (9+1), admittedly from a low base. The results combined see the Chiefs slip to fifth spot, with Whitemoor and Rugby both moving above them thanks to away wins. The latter’s was recorded at newly promoted struggling Bolsover, where three Valeri Elin (14) winning 5-1’s in the closing four heats secured them a 42-47 success in a meeting they had trailed in by six. Bernd Hoover (17+1) meanwhile scored his second maximum of the campaign as Whitemoor fought back from six down to win 42-48 at Bridgwater.
Two wins from Norwegian teenage reserve Niels Hovden (8+2) helped Longbridge record their first away win since promotion from division two. His winning 5-1 in heat 14 at Broadwell gave the Lions a four point lead in the meeting, one Vlas Levitsky (13) turned into a 43-47 victory when winning the last. In division three there were away wins for Dartford—who benefited from a third maximum of the season from Dominic Little as they beat Werrington, 44-46—and for Kesgrave, who had earlier beaten Dartford on their travels, 41-49, a victory reserve Kieron Godfrey (9+2) and second string Kostas Holub (6+1) secured with a penultimate race 5-1.
Christopher Dudley (13) became only the second rider to successfully defend the BU21 crown by winning this weeks final in Smethwick. The 20 year old—who made a £140,000 switch from Bridgwater to Great Barr in pre-season—following in the wheel tracks of SL18 and SL19 winner Dominic Little after finishing two points clear of a group of three riders in the decider, led by Tyler Pennington (11). The top seven finishers from Smethwick will represent the UK in this years WU21 Championship, a competition Little won as a teenager in SL18.
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