Well the peace and quiet has come to an end at the Abbey Stadium in Blunsdon - the bikes are back and that old adrenalin rush has kicked in. Season 2009, our 60th, is about to start.
The Team for 2009 are now kitted out in brand new overalls care of local businessman and Swindon Robins sponsor, among others, Andy Nurden. As you can see from the team photo above, the lads were delighted with the new overalls and were all keen to thank Andy personally. These are difficult times for all businesses so it was a particularly kind gesture and one very much appreciated.
Two legends of the sport were to be found in the pits preparing for the practice session - on the right multiple world champion and all round nice guy, Tony Rickardsson, made a welcome if unexpected visit to Swindon with this team to support protege Antonio Lindback. On the right, Punch! Note the new overalls and his name embroidered on the front.
I know that all fans of the Swindon team like to see team photographs of the stars, so here is the Blog's version from the front and from the back. A team with a sharpness that almost cuts - with a determination that frightens - and with a sense of humour that often renders us speechless!
With the fence up and the track looking in particularly good shape - well done to Gerald, Punch and Ronnie - all attention was on the pits, and especially the blue van bearing the name of Team Rickardsson. Tony is back mentoring Antonio Lindback, guiding back into a sport that many of us believed he'd been lost to. I kid you not, everything that was Team Rickardsson of old is now Team Rickardsson of 2009 - the attention to detail, the complete professionalism. If Antonio doesn't come back stronger that he was at his peak a couple of years ago then it wont be for the want of trying.
Antonio will be lining up for the 60th birthday bash on Sunday so he's a welcome addition to the pits today, as is Birmingham's Tomasz Piscz.
All of the 2009 Robins were present apart from the unfortunate Troy Batchelor,held up, as I write this, by Visa problems in Australia. I confess I don't know why Troy has been caught up in this manner - I've been using Visa for many years and they've never tried to keep me out of the country!
It was nice to see a smiling and relaxed Travis McGowan back at Blunsdon. Travis had a truly dreadful 2008 - the accident in Australia, the lack of racing fitness at the start of the season, the fruitless search for a set up that would suit him, unable to drop down to reserve, leaving the club - it was painful to watch because he is such a genuinely nice bloke. It was a real pleasure to be able to talk to him after the debacle at Lakeside at the end of last season after his performance had put others in the shade.
Travis told the blog that he'd had a relaxing summer in Australia riding bikes and keeping fit. Now back in his European base in Sweden, Travis is looking forward to picking up his career and really showing everyone what he is truly capable of, and the blog will be supporting him throughout the season.
While Travis looked relaxed and refreshed, young Jurica Pavlic was covered up against the biting wind that whipped through the pits. I wasn't there, but fellow Blunsdon Blogger Phil Rice reported how impressed he was with Jurica's short speech at the official launch of the 2009 team at a local hotel. Intelligent and articulate, Jurica comes to us this year with a 4 point average and could be our trump card. Whatever happens, let's hope that the young man is given the time to settle back into the sport in what is in effect his debut full season of British racing.
Out on the track everything was looking OK. The new all encompassing banners will be with us in time for Friday, so we used old ones for the practice session. The banners actually add considerable strength to the air fence when they are used to overlap the joins in the panels.
The velcro attached kickboards continue to impress me. No more floundering around in the mire on hands and knees trying to rivet or cable tie.
Much has been written in the press about the track at Swindon and looking at it now congratulations must go out to Gerald, PUnch and Ronnie for their sterling efforts in the last few weeks since the snow covered the track and undid so much of our earlier winter work.
Pits side it's good to meet up with two stalwarts from previous years - on the left Clerk of the Course Mick Hunt, who has the unenviable job of trying to stop too many riders from charging out onto the track as soon as the pits gate air panel is opened.
On the right, the ever cheerful Richard Crowley from the BBC. Presumably as a present on his 2nd birthday, someone has given Richard a smart new jacket - nice one Richard!
As the minutes tick on towards the 3pm start time so preparations continue. Gerald and Tony R chat about the changing nature of the sport while Antonio interrupts an impressive warming up regime to pose for the Blog.
And so to the bikes. We'll be taking a closer look at the machines in the coming weeks but for now that smell, not so strong as in the days on old, but still strangely alluring, wafts across the pit complex as mechanics start the behemoths.
The Robins side is packed with bikes, spares and all manner of kit; the away pit contains the two bikes for Antonio Lindback and the one for Tomasz Piscz.
Richard Sweetman, refreshed after a summer in Australia warms up his bike. Hugely talented, the youngster will ride for Birmingham this year but is still very much part of the Swindon set up, being next in line in the event of an injury to any of our reserves. Alongside Richard is newcomer, Ryan Fisher. Ryan's had a tough baptism at Swindon, with van troubles plaguing him and making him the last rider to leave the pits at the end of the session, along with his wife and young family.
Ryan makes an instant impression on the track staff with his polite manner and friendly aspect. He was a bit of a terrier around Blunsdon last year when appearing for Belle Vue, aggressive and never knowingly beaten. We already see a new side to the young American and are only too willing to help him out.
Ryan poses for the Blog's pin hole camera on the left while Leigh Adams demonstrates a new line in camping gear - it's big enough to be his own personal tent!
As Antonio (above) and Tomascz (below) prepare themselves and their equipment for the session the Robins are soon surrounded by members of the press pack out on the centre green. In previous years I've tried to get a photograph of the backs of the Robins team (there will be more than enough of their fronts in the press and elsewhere) but this time I decided on a photograph of the photographers photographing the Robins - perverse, but what can you expect from a Shrewsbury Town supporter living in Wiltshire!
Perhaps the real star of the show is to be found in the area behind the pits.
This is the bike, a JAP, that Tom Wilson rode in the very first meeting to be held at The Abbey Stadium on Saturday 23rd July 1949. At 6.30pm the Robins, almost called the "Stallions", made their way out onto the new Abbey Stadium black cinder track to take on Oxford in a challenge match. The Robins lost that meeting by 39 to 45 but the bike in these pictures piloted Tom Wilson to 6 points and a bonus from 4 rides.
Just look at those wonderful handlebars and that exhaust system. Sadly, although the engine had turned over the day before, no life could be coaxed out of it on this, the start of the 60th season at Blunsdon.
Of course, all riders look amazingly fast on their own so we keep analysis down to a minimum. Mr Adams looked super smooth, Trav looked far more comfortable on the bike than last year, Simon Stead explored just about every possible line on turns 3 and 4, Stoj looked at home high up whilst Ryan attacked the corners as if his very life depended on it.
Cory and Richard looked at home on the super smooth Blunsdon track whilst Jurica experimented with a number of new lines and set ups. Of the visitors, Antonio and Tomasz seemed to be enjoying themselves whilst our old friend Steve Johnston made a brief appearance on the way through, presumably, to Somerset.
The track worked well and we were all satisfied as we made our weary way out of the stadium at 5.30pm. Thanks once again to Andy Nurden, of A C Nurden Limited (Malmesbury) for the brilliant support and those new overalls.
I leave you with a view seen by precious few at Blunsdon - the inside of Flo's palace. Yes, by popular request, here is the first photograph to be published of the room where our Sports Therapist, Karen "Flo" Pantry, also referred to by young Cory Gathercole as 'Mum', heals the injured and soothes away the aches and pains associated with our beloved sport.
More on Flo in the weeks to come, but now it's getting ready for the season opener on Sunday.
