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Sovereign Edition
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Comment now on the latest news at the Forum POLE DANCING Leeds celebrate after win in Lublin Leeds are once again into the semi-finals of the European Cup after winning in Lublin to secure a ten point first round aggregate victory. It’s turning those last-four appearances into competition wins that has been a cause of concern for Jags boss Darren Evans, this is the seventh time they made in through to that stage in their last eight appearances, however they’ve lifted the trophy just once in that period. In fact that one success is their sole victory in a competition they have now featured in 14 times, in contrast Eastbourne (four), Stowmarket (three) and Coalville (two) are all multiple winners. The omens maybe with Leeds in SL33 though, they drawn to face Malmo in the last four, the team they beat at that stage on their way to their SL31 success. The Swedes are through after defeating Stowmarket home and away in round one, the Witches have now lost their opening tie in the competition in each of the past five seasons, those defeats part of a run of seven consecutive European Cup aggregate losses for Bill Jones side. Leeds did suffer an early scare in Lublin, the hosts wiping out the Jaguars eight point first leg advantage in the first three races! However visiting riders won nine of the next ten to re-take control of the tie, Joshua Cartwright (15 from six) taking the victories in four of those heats. It was however the minor places from Daniel Lake (13) and reserve Joseph Mitchell (8+1) in the penultimate race which secured Leeds their semi-final spot. Also going through to the last four are competition debutants Wentworth, like Leeds they too won 44-46 on their travels this week, reserve Nathan Harris (7) amongst the heat winners as they completed an emphatic 22 point aggregate victory over Horsens in Denmark. They face Pila next, the Poles in the end lucky to come through their first round tie against Cradley Heath despite winning the first leg in the British Midlands. A few scratches and scrapes for the holders, but a heat 15 second place from the otherwise unbeaten double world number two Belal Fabian (14) eventual saw them to a second leg draw on home shale, which took them through by two.
As Belal Fabian (13) progressed with ease to the SL33 Grand Prix series by winning the Continental Final, defending world champion Fiske Wahlquist suffered a massive blow to his hopes in Malmo. In fact the Wentworth rider missed the cut for both the GP’s and Play Off round having scored just seven in the Scandinavian Final, a meeting he won last season. That result only puts him at reserve for the last chance tie in Huntingdon next month, meaning only injury to others will see the 25 year old get another shot. Stowmarket’s Lasse Classen won the Scandinavian Final after scoring a 15 point maximum, the 31 year old—who finished second in the World Championship three years ago—topping the podium from two of last years GP riders, the world numbers eight and 13, Johan Winberg (11) and Gustave Bolling (10). Fabian, Rubert Zmolek (12)—who finished fifth in last years series—and Mattias Zimmerman (12) took the automatic spots from the Continental section following the Pila final, in which world number six Dirk Miller (5) fell the wrong side of the qualifying line.
Wentworth are all but certain to finish the first half of the season as division one leaders after they extended their winning league run to five. Stowmarket the venue for that fifth straight victory, 43-47, one completed by a heat 15 5-1 from Fiske Wahlquist (14) and Martin Huffman (15+1). The Trappers had trailed by eight after the opening five races, but their riders went on to win all of the remaining ten! Four-times defending champions Leeds consolidated their position in third by inflicting Runcorn’s fourth home defeat on them of the campaign, they requiring the use of tactical substitutes in their comeback 42-48 win in a meeting they had trailed in by six.
Eight unbeaten and 11 points clear at the top of division two go Eastbourne. Impressive figures for the Seagulls who seem destined to return to the top flight at the first attempt, at 40-50 their latest win was their biggest yet of their six already recorded away from home in SL33. It came at Derby, where Stig Martinson (15) scored his second successive league maximum, having also took five wins from five in the earlier smaller 48-42 home win over Greenhill.
Having slipped towards the foot of division three Wolverhampton are now back in the promotion places. A 51-39 win over leaders Normanton took them there after they’d earlier beaten Claygate on their travels, 41-48. The Wolves first away win of the campaign—they’ve also recorded two road trip draws—was secured with two races to spare with an Edward Kraschowitz (9+3)/Peter Kokko (10) 4-2. With three wins and an exclusion from his four rides, second string Steve Wales (9) also impressed in the victory.
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