Inside Track 2013: Captain Mads Korneliussen’s weekly look inside the Norfolk Arena
Andzejs Lebedevs. Picture: Matthew Usher. - Credit: Matthew Usher
I can understand why our team boss Rob Lyon is pulling his hair out at the moment.
Seb Alden. Picture: Matthew Usher. - Credit: Matthew Usher
I'd imagine it's not been a very enjoyable year for him. If it's not injuries to our riders, me included, it's team members pulling out of meetings or quitting the club. I understand his frustrations.
Andzejs Lebedevs walked away on Monday and it was disappointing to see him go. Seb Alden's also pulled the plug this year and let us down. It hurts me as a captain when things like that happen and it unsettles the whole team.
When a rider signs a contract they should be committing to the whole season. Take Andzejs for example. Money's been spent on sorting equipment and getting him organised. And while I know he would rather race on his own bikes, and come back next year, I feel he's taking the mick out of the club.
The supporters deserve more than they're getting. If you commit, you should commit. That's 100pc every meeting. Not just ride when you feel like it and quit when you can't be bothered.
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We've still got a smallish chance of making the play-offs. But we've got to sort our team quickly. Lebedevs needs replacing and so does Rory Schlein (broken leg). It's no good having riders in who are just not committed enough.
We need really good replacements and there's a lot of points to play with. If we get two in, and the right decision is made in the next few days, we can really push for the top four – starting at Eastbourne Eagles on Monday.
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Back to racing, we lost 56-37 at Swindon Robins on Monday night. I usually go well round there but I fell apart. I ended up on my backside three times. They had greyhound racing before the meeting which means they couldn't get on the track till late. The surface was a bit inconsistent. But that's no excuse. Everyone else managed to score points. I had one good ride where I beat Hans Andersen from the back, which reminded me I could ride a bike, but I just couldn't make a start for the life of me.
? Mads Korneliussen was talking to Gavin Caney.
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