Col

Second toughest match of the season, only away at Lublin beats it. Not what you'd really want to start your Ekstealiga campaign.

Pretty abject performance from Spires as expected yet Zischke still not scoring well.

It will always be a problem with "strength in depth" teams... one pairing will always be a liability which the others can't compensate for. Most 6-7 pointers don't score 6-7 points every meeting, one meeting they score 10, next they score 3. Who is looking like they're going to reserve instead of Harris in May and who is going to overtake Cook for the #1 spot?

You still think Sheffield are nailed on for a top 3 now Woffinden is unlikely to ride? He has not been included as a seed for the British Final on May 12th which suggests to me he'll not be back on a bike before then. Tigers are not going to find a like for like replacement that is certain. Cook & Pickering both ride of Leszno in Ekstraliga 2. Leszno were relegated last year, crazy really when they were almost unbeatable 5 years ago. Kvech didn't do much on his Torun debut 1 3 0 0 yesterday. The win was mostly down to Kowalski getting in team ate Bewley's way on the first few laps. I can't see Fricke going through the card, one of the Stars will lower his colours and Harris will have the edge over the the rest of the Lions I'd imagine, it's down to Stars team manager (I can picture him but can't remember his name) to use him wisely. Becker has quite a liking for the Norfolk Arena doesn't he? Stars 49 Lions 41.

A stinker? It was away at Torun, Bewley was hindered by team mate Kowalski a few times. Can't see a Spire likely to trouble them in this one TBH, 60+ for Belle Vue easily I'd imagine.

Yep it's gone.

https://vk.com/video-53550004_456242110

Heat 15 is on Facebook now - https://fb.watch/yUUTuTXfWM/ As I thought at the time, a second viewing confirms it. Had Kurtz shut the door on Fricke which he could have, ref would have had a hard call to make.

I tend to agree with you on Lidsey, although his heat 12 first lap was superb last night. Blodorn isn't normally afraid to mix it. Haven't see enough of Zischke or Zach Cook yet to comment, Mulford isn't quick enough to mix it with most riders in this league. Had the racing been better last night I might have come next week with it being a day off on Friday, but the dust has put me off, if I want to miss most of the action due to dust I'll do so at Perry Barr.

I don't think anyone could ever say NKI is a gater, for a few years (probably about 10-13 years ago) he was my favourite rider in the GP's because he couldn't gate! Klindt yes, jury out on Kvech still. Cook can race. Kings Lynn, make the playoffs?

He said he'd increased the camber on bed 1, 2 & 3 but needs another two weeks to finish the job on bend 4 in the on track interview, pre-meeting Away race points... 90 for 90 against in the league for the Aces so far. They haven't visited the ripe hunting grounds of Perry Barr or Cowley yet. I had forgotten that. When Douglas retired it was because he & Howarth clashed exiting turn 2. Kurtz had missed the jump but Howarth was not giving Kurtz an inch, he certainly took his front wheel away.

I am at a bit of a loss as to how to assess this meeting TBH, after 4 heat I was wondering if the aggregate bonus would even be salvageable for the Aces, Bewley aside they were so sluggish to start with. The 5-1 following the Becker exclusion gave them hope, I couldn't see (due to dust/angle) the coming together with Blodorn from the exit of turn two where I was stood. Becker had certainly passed Blodorn entering the straight but Blodorn was going quicker having taken a wider line. The 1-5's from TS Kurtz/Bewley & the Kurtz/Blodorn meant I thought it would depend on Lidsey winning heat 13 after the interval. Lidsey produced the first lap of the night to swing wide and pass both Kemp & Douglas to win heat 12. Bewley & Kurtz hit the front in both heats 13 & 15, but Bewley made a mistake to allow both Lions through in heat 13 & Fricke did enough to force Kurtz off the inside line which also allowed Becker through in heat 15. I thought heat 15 would be null & void TBH, was expecting a 5-1 from Kemp & Howarth in heat 14 but Cook finally decided he'd come to the party & won it setting up the last heat decider. I suspect this result will be put into context when the Witches visit next week. Fricke & Becker could be the strongest pairing in this league if they're kept together but one suspects Becker will end up at 3 or 4 soon enough, suspect the switch may come when Kemp overhauls Howarth in the averages. I am certainly beginning to wonder why Lemon wanted Zischke over Vuolas I'm not seeing anything from Zischke to suggest he can be a force at this level. I also think it's time to switch Blodorn, Cook & maybe Lidsey around. Until the interval the track was poor racing wise, the only passes (Kurtz on Douglas, Fricke on Bewley & Becker on Blodorn) were because the leader drifted too wide on turns 1 & 2. I think Kemp must have passed Cook, but at the time I had so much dust in my eyes standing on the back straight I was blinking constantly to remove it.

Blimey car park gets full quick. Hardly any spaces left at 6:15. Second time I've needed petrol when getting here, second time I've driven the wrong way down a one way system to get to the Tesco petrol station. The people of Leicester pay 6 p more a little than the people of Cannock for petrol. Or is Tesco usually that much more expensive than Sainsburys for petrol? The start marshall is the same chap as he guy who used to do it at the EoESg?

Depends on the form of Fricke & Lidsey for me, I've seen the Aces at Beaumont Park when neither Bewley not Kurtz could get near Fricke but Bewley was unbeaten in the playoff final. You'd expect the Aces top two to have the edge over the rest of the Lions septet but if Lidsey doesn't chip in with a few wins I can't see Aces keeping it close enough in the first 12 heats to have a chance at the end. Blodorn could be a bit of trump card, I think he's said previously that Beaumont Park is his favourite away track. Don't expect much from Aces reserves, has Zischke ever ridden at Leicester before?

SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Anders Rowe, Josh Pickering, Tai Woffinden R/R, Chris Holder, Danyon Hume, Leon Flint. KING’S LYNN: Ben Cook, Richard Lawson, Nicolai Klindt, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Jan Kvech, Chris Harris, Ashton Boughen.