Hans - the slim, mean racing machine (From Swindon Advertiser)

SWINDON ROBINS: Hans - the slim, mean racing machine

7:00am Thursday 29th December 2011 in Speedway By Ned Payne

HANS Andersen will be fitter and faster than he has been in the last couple of years when he arrives at the start line at the end of March.

That is the opinion of Robins boss Alun Rossiter, who is confident the Dane’s return to the Grand Prix circuit will do his form domestically the world of good.

“I’m convinced that Hans being back in the GPs can only be a good thing for him,” said Rossiter.

“He knows he’s got to improve and get better from what he’s done in the last couple of seasons.

“Yes, he got injured, but as someone who was looking in from the outside, I don’t think he was as fit as he could have been last year, and maybe a little bit in the season previous.

“Now he’s back in the GPs and he’s got to make sure that he’s right physically and mentally and his equipment is right.

“He’s still got three or four good years left in him if he gets himself fit and up for it.”

Rossiter reckons that fitness and a controlled mental approach is a key part of the modern speedway rider’s make-up, which is why he thinks it is so important that Andersen gets it right.

“It’s amazing how different speedway is now and how different riders are,” said the ex-Coventry boss.

“They go running, they are on diets and the sport overall has upped itself over the last few years.

“What I did 15 years ago, you couldn’t get away with now. Everything has moved on.

“The professionalism and attitude of the riders is massively important and that’s one of the biggest things I think is different nowadays.”

Rossiter also paid tribute to Andersen for having the belief to commit himself to a season in the GPs, saying it would have been easy to stay out of it.

He said: “You have got to give Hans credit for wanting to go back in there, because some people have squirmed away from that, but he believes he is still good enough.

“He’s always spent money on his equipment, you can’t fault him for that, and now he’s stuck his neck out.”