World Championships rule out Bjerre and Dryml for Panthers
WORLD Championship commitments will deprive Panthers of two riders during a hectic spell of four meetings in five days.
WORLD Championship commitments will deprive Panthers of two riders during a hectic spell of four meetings in five days.The city side's Elite League clash at high-flying Wolverhampton yesterday was postponed after a tea-time storm in the Midlands, but a busy spell lies ahead.
Current GP man Kenneth Bjerre and Czech rider Ales Dryml both miss meetings later this week due to lining up in semi-finals of the qualifying programme for the 2010 series.
Dryml, who won a quarter-final qualifier in Austria at the weekend, has been drawn in a semi in Daugavpils, Latvia, while Bjerre will race in the other semi at Motala in Sweden.
Dryml is not available for the city side's home date against Eastbourne on Thursday, the trip to Coventry 24 hours later and a visit to Sussex for a return date against the Eagles on Saturday. Bjerre misses the Friday and Saturday meetings.
Panthers will use the rider replacement facility for Dryml on Thursday. They will then run that system to cover for Bjerre at Coventry when teenage Australian sensation Darcy Ward steps in as a guest for Dryml.
Team manager Trevor Swales is still searching for a rider to fill in at Eastbourne, but is thrilled to have 17 year-old rising star Ward of King's Lynn on board the previous night.
Swales said: "Getting out of Latvia is difficult and there is no way Ales can do it if he rides for us on Thursday.
"Kenneth is okay for that home meeting but then also misses the next two nights.
"Darcy has agreed to come in at Coventry but he cannot commit to doing the away date at Eastbourne as well.
"He is racing at Glasgow the following day and I would not want such a young rider taking on that sort of journey.
"Obviously it is not ideal being under-strength but the teams we are facing are in the same boat."
Panthers' opponents are indeed badly affected. Coventry will be without British champion Chris Harris and Aussie ace Rory Schlein, while Lukas Dryml and Davey Watt will both be missing from the Eastbourne side on Saturday.
Kenneth Hansen, who now moves into the main body of the Panthers side this week, is fit after injuring a hand in the home defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton last Thursday.
Hansen scored 13 points in a Danish League outing last night.
World Championship Qualifying Meetings –
Semi-final one (Motala, Sweden): 1 Jesper B. Monberg (Den), 2 Lukas Dryml (Cze), 3 Antonio Lindback (Swe), 4 Kenneth Bjerre (Den), 5 Magnus Zetterstrom (Swe), 6 Piotr Swiderski (Pol), 7 Christian Hefenbrock (Ger), 8 Matej Zagar (Slo), 9 Seb Ulamek (Pol), 10 Morten Risager (Den), 11 Kauko Nieminen (Fin), 12 Davey Watt (Aus), 13 Renat Gafurov (Rus), 14 Jonas Davidsson (Swe), 15 Chris Harris (GB), 16 Grzegorz Walasek (Pol). Reserves: Tai Woffinden (GB), Joonas Kylmakorpi (Fin).
Semi-final two (Daugavpils, Latvia): 1 Leon Madsen (Den), 2 Patrick Hougaard (Den), 3 Ales Dryml (Cze), 4 Thomas H. Jonasson (Swe), 5 Piotr Protasiewicz (Pol), 6 Martin Vaculik (Slo), 7 Rory Schlein (Aus), 8 Bjarne Pedersen (Den), 9 Adrian Miedzinski (Pol), 10 TBA, 11 Jarek Hampel (Pol), 12 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe), 13 Martin Smolinski (Ger), 14 Jurica Pavlic (Cro), 15 Chris Holder (Aus), 16 Matej Ferjan (Slo). Reserves: Andriy Karpov (Rus), Tobi Kroner (Ger).
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Weather for Peterborough
Wednesday 17 March 2010
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