Post by miltonkeynescats on Jun 27, 2015 11:22:07 GMT
First and foremost, we have the Cats returning from our side last season. We have our top 3 last year, lining up in the main body of our side in the newly repositioned Power League.
First up we have former Power League Riders Champion and Cats number 1 Buck Bracey. Still just 23, and with a wealth of experience at this level, Buck would be first to admit he didn't have the greatest of seasons last year, it was a struggle from start to finish with only a few bright spots, but he has a point to prove, and he can certainly play a part in our solid middle order this coming season.
Last season's number 5 is returning, Stefan Zawadski is currently involved in the Under 21 World Cup, but he didn't hesitate to sign on for a third season with Milton Keynes. He put a point on his average during his second season with the cats and at 21 still has plenty of time on his hands to make it to the higher echelons of the sport.
Borek Olejnik was unfortunate last season in suffering serious multiple injuries that ruled him out for the season in week 11, especially as he was really starting to show his ability and what he can do, but he is coming back this season, and I know he can show what he's about, especially from number 2, where he'll start off the season.
Starting the season at reserve is one of the strongest reserves in the league, and at 20 is a rider I feel destined for good things. In spite of riding in a tough position in the team last season he nudged his average up a little, and from reserve I feel he has the ability to score big home or away, young Steve Edgar is the final cats returnee.
First of the new names is a rider who has been unfortunate in a team who he's been unfortunate in having to associate himself with in recent years, I won't sully this moment by mentioning their name, but he's free from their clutches, and he joins the cats on a full transfer. He had a tough season in the UL, with an injury mid-season costing him a few weeks, yet he still added to his average, and at just 24 Josef Gavenda has plenty of time. Some may be concerned with a step down a league in terms of ambition or drive, but the league changes have lead to the UL and PL being much closer than they were before, and in some ways it's not a step down at all.
Stepping into the Cats side at reserve alongside Edgar is 24 year old Romanian Dragan Moosz, a former teammate at Madrid Magpies of Hunter Nelson, who had a short stint with the cats last season, but he mentioned Dragan has a tidy style and certainly has talent. Dragan made his own way to the UK with his equipment and impressed at a behind closed doors test session, though his equipment was lacking slightly I saw enough in him to offer him a contract. I have also set him up with some local sponsors and his new machinery is looking much improved (and very shiny).
The final piece of the jigsaw probably needs no introduction, but he'll be getting one, as I still can't quite believe we've been able to sign a rider of his calibre in the Power League, he's won just about everything there is to win, apart from the Power League, so we're hoping to help him complete his trophy cabinet this season, but if you allow me to take a deep breath... He is a former World Champion, he's won the Team World Cup twice, he's a four-time European Champion, a five-time Polish Champion, he's won the Ultimate League twice, alongside the UL KOC and UL Riders Championship, and he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2013, at number 1 for the Milton Keynes Cats in 2015 is none other than 33 year old Pole, Rado Kornacki.
So there you have it, your 2015 Milton Keynes Cats.
Kornacki 9.90
Olejnik 6.15
Bracey 6.44
Zawadski 6.37
Gavenda 7.11
Edgar 5.52
Moosz 3.39
44.88
Before we end this introduction though, i'd like to introduce the Cats rider in this season's Juvenile Jaunt, 14 year old Ryan Betts. He's new to the Jaunt but we have high hopes. A precocious talent, Ryan finished second in last season's British Youth Championship, and with the right support, will go far. As such he will be supported in the pits by at least 1 of the cats septet in every Jaunt meeting, helping him with advice, setups and general support, and at both the penultimate round at The Grovedale, and the final round at Kings Lynn the whole team will be out in force to support him, from the pit and the terraces, and i'm sure a number of riders will also be in attendance at the 6th round in Bletchley.
Ryan will also be having track time after every home Cats fixture, and we will be doing all we can to get him track time after our away fixtures, subject to permission from the home sides. We are pulling out all the stops.
First up we have former Power League Riders Champion and Cats number 1 Buck Bracey. Still just 23, and with a wealth of experience at this level, Buck would be first to admit he didn't have the greatest of seasons last year, it was a struggle from start to finish with only a few bright spots, but he has a point to prove, and he can certainly play a part in our solid middle order this coming season.
Last season's number 5 is returning, Stefan Zawadski is currently involved in the Under 21 World Cup, but he didn't hesitate to sign on for a third season with Milton Keynes. He put a point on his average during his second season with the cats and at 21 still has plenty of time on his hands to make it to the higher echelons of the sport.
Borek Olejnik was unfortunate last season in suffering serious multiple injuries that ruled him out for the season in week 11, especially as he was really starting to show his ability and what he can do, but he is coming back this season, and I know he can show what he's about, especially from number 2, where he'll start off the season.
Starting the season at reserve is one of the strongest reserves in the league, and at 20 is a rider I feel destined for good things. In spite of riding in a tough position in the team last season he nudged his average up a little, and from reserve I feel he has the ability to score big home or away, young Steve Edgar is the final cats returnee.
First of the new names is a rider who has been unfortunate in a team who he's been unfortunate in having to associate himself with in recent years, I won't sully this moment by mentioning their name, but he's free from their clutches, and he joins the cats on a full transfer. He had a tough season in the UL, with an injury mid-season costing him a few weeks, yet he still added to his average, and at just 24 Josef Gavenda has plenty of time. Some may be concerned with a step down a league in terms of ambition or drive, but the league changes have lead to the UL and PL being much closer than they were before, and in some ways it's not a step down at all.
Stepping into the Cats side at reserve alongside Edgar is 24 year old Romanian Dragan Moosz, a former teammate at Madrid Magpies of Hunter Nelson, who had a short stint with the cats last season, but he mentioned Dragan has a tidy style and certainly has talent. Dragan made his own way to the UK with his equipment and impressed at a behind closed doors test session, though his equipment was lacking slightly I saw enough in him to offer him a contract. I have also set him up with some local sponsors and his new machinery is looking much improved (and very shiny).
The final piece of the jigsaw probably needs no introduction, but he'll be getting one, as I still can't quite believe we've been able to sign a rider of his calibre in the Power League, he's won just about everything there is to win, apart from the Power League, so we're hoping to help him complete his trophy cabinet this season, but if you allow me to take a deep breath... He is a former World Champion, he's won the Team World Cup twice, he's a four-time European Champion, a five-time Polish Champion, he's won the Ultimate League twice, alongside the UL KOC and UL Riders Championship, and he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2013, at number 1 for the Milton Keynes Cats in 2015 is none other than 33 year old Pole, Rado Kornacki.
So there you have it, your 2015 Milton Keynes Cats.
Kornacki 9.90
Olejnik 6.15
Bracey 6.44
Zawadski 6.37
Gavenda 7.11
Edgar 5.52
Moosz 3.39
44.88
Before we end this introduction though, i'd like to introduce the Cats rider in this season's Juvenile Jaunt, 14 year old Ryan Betts. He's new to the Jaunt but we have high hopes. A precocious talent, Ryan finished second in last season's British Youth Championship, and with the right support, will go far. As such he will be supported in the pits by at least 1 of the cats septet in every Jaunt meeting, helping him with advice, setups and general support, and at both the penultimate round at The Grovedale, and the final round at Kings Lynn the whole team will be out in force to support him, from the pit and the terraces, and i'm sure a number of riders will also be in attendance at the 6th round in Bletchley.
Ryan will also be having track time after every home Cats fixture, and we will be doing all we can to get him track time after our away fixtures, subject to permission from the home sides. We are pulling out all the stops.