Iversen wins Kilby Memorial at Blunsdon (From Swindon Advertiser)

Iversen wins Kilby Memorial at Blunsdon

6:00am Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By Andy Warren

KING’S Lynn captain Niels-Kristian Iversen picked up where he left off at the end of last season as he stormed to success in the Bob Kilby Memorial Meeting at Blunsdon last night.

The Dane enjoyed a superb 2012 which saw him dominate leagues across Europe and regain his Grand Prix place, and was at his fluent best as he got the better of Tai Woffinden, Scott Nicholls and Swindon skipper Hans Andersen in last night’s final.

Iversen took advantage to storm up the inside in turn one of the final to take the victory, on a night where everyone connected with the Robins remembered one of the club’s most-loved riders in front of a big crowd at the Abbey Stadium.

It looked as if Andersen was going to get his 2013 campaign off to the perfect start as he collected 14 points from his five qualifying rides, but the Robins captain was squeezed out in turn one and struggled to make an impact.

Peter Kildemand made the semi-final on eight points, but fellow Robins Troy Batchelor, Edward Kennett and Nick Morris missed out scoring five, four and three respectively.

Three-time world champion Nicki Pedersen also scored eight points as he entertained but failed to produce his best, and he along with the likes of Freddie Lindgren, Chris Harris and Rory Schlein all missed out on a place in the semi.

After Andersen won a processional opening race, Kennett made the start ahead of Pedersen in the next but Schlein swept around the outside of both of them in turns one and two to lead the pack home.

Morris looked to jump the start of heat three, and in the second staging of the race the young Aussie slipped off at the back coming out of turn two as Robins teammate Kildemand picked up where he left off in October with three points.

Nicholls took heat four with ease, but the real race was for second and third as Woffinden and Batchelor did battle for all four laps, with the Wolves man ultimately passing the Robins’ Australian on lap three to claim three points.

After falling in his first ride Morris came out in an aggressive mood in heat five, but after looking quick for a lap and a half he fell to the back as Harris came through to pick up his first points of the evening.

Mads Korneliussen stormed past Schlein to win heat six, and in the following race Woffinden couldn’t find a way past his Wolves teammate Lindgren as the Swede took the win.

Kildemand looked at his storming best as he thundered round the boards in heat eight, but as he went into turn one of lap two alongside Andersen and Nicholls he was forced into the fence and was excluded. Coventry man Nicholls won the re-run to ensure he was the only rider on maximum points after eight heats, and extended his run with victory in the next race after outmuscling his old foe Harris on lap one.

Dane Kildemand was back on song after his earlier fall in heat 10, but behind him pantomime villain Pedersen took Woffinden into the fence which led to calls for the three-time world champion to be excluded. Pedersen survived, and the race was awarded to the Robins man with Jason Doyle in second.

Korneliussen recorded his second win of the night as he beat King’s Lynn teammate Iversen, and in heat 12 Andersen maintained his superb start with a well-earned victory over Bjarne Pedersen.

Kildemand was all over the place as he finished last in heat 13 and Korneliussen won back-to-back races, before Lindgren notched his second win with an easy victory over Doyle.

The race of the night came as Nicki Pedersen and Iversen went head to head for four pulsating laps in heat 15, and after Pedersen swooped around the outside his Danish teammate came back and pipped him on the finish line.

A good first-corner move earned Andersen another win, and Woffinden pulled himself into contention after beating Bjarne Pedersen on the line to win the next.

Nicholls was back to winning ways at the first time of asking as he beat Morris and Doyle, before Iversen and Andersen took victories to end the qualifying heats.

An impressive start from the outside earned Iversen his place in the final, and despite coming off the least-favoured inside gate in the final, the Dane was able to storm through to take the trophy.