AUSTRALIAN rider Troy Batchelor is happy to return to the Abbey Stadium and is hoping to learn from his first season as the Robins captain.

The 27-year-old has signed for another year for Alun Rossiter’s side and the Swindon boss has confirmed that he will be leading the team again this year.

Batchelor was top of the averages for the Robins last year alongside Peter Kildemand, who has yet to commit himself to another season in the Elite League.

The Aussie, who was crowned Elite Rider Champion at King’s Lynn last season, will be hoping to aid his teammates to play-off success next season.

“I say don’t fix it if it is not broken and I don’t want to change anything,” he told the Adver.

“I am happy to stay and hopefully we can do a better job this year than we did last year.

“I had a couple of down meetings but most of the time I was top scorer, or if not one of them.

“I think I did the job pretty good but I am always aiming to be better and this year I want to be top of the averages and not just the top five.”

The heat leader will be given the captain’s armband again this year and despite the added pressure that brings Batchelor is looking forward to learning from his experience of last season.

“When things are down and you lose it is me and Rosco who get the blame but that is part of it and you have to lead by example as well and be out there winning the races so the other guys believe that they can do it as well,” he added.

“Next year I hope to be better as captain, it is always harder when you are doing it for the first time but if you have been there and done it makes things a lot easier.”

Batchelor is added to young riders Charles Wright and Lewis Rose, who Rossiter picked up in the Elite Riders Draft last week.

The Abbey Stadium boss still has four more top order riders to sign in the close season, but Kyle Howarth, who is a Workington asset and rode for Coventry last season, is close to being signed on loan.

“It is a shame to lose Stevie (Worrall) because he did such a good job and I think he has a lot of talent but I think we will definitely be more solid with two guys that are going good instead of just one,” said Batchelor, in response to how the team is shaping up.

“Speedway you lose guys and you get guys and you have to work with the rules, but the bottom end definitely makes a difference.

“Hopefully we can get a great team together and the goal is always to win.

“Rosco will cry if we don’t win and he’ll cry if we do win. He is emotional about it and he wants to win as badly as we do.

“I’ve heard a few names mentioned about who we could get and hopefully it could be pulled off and I think we’ll have a good team.”