Flying Frenchman David Bellego inspired a stunning Swindon performance to defeat league leaders Belle Vue 48-42 against all the odds at the Abbey last night.
Racing without inspirational skipper Jason Doyle – and operating rider-replacement due to a lack of available guest options – few gave the Carpets4Less Robins a chance against the powerhouse Aces, who have an impressive away record this season.
But Bellego scored a remarkable five-ride paid maximum, and with Adam Ellis also enjoying a field day at reserve, Alun Rossiter’s side again upset the pre-match predictions to boost their play-off chances.
The early signs were ominous as Kenneth Bjerre and Steve Worrall raced to a 5-1 in the opening heat for the Aces, but the Robins mounted an impressive response.
They pulled back two points through Ellis and Zach Wajtknecht in Heat 2 before Wajtknecht added the scalp of Great Britain captain Craig Cook to his growing collection with a stunning Heat 4 maximum backed up by Morris.
That put Swindon ahead, and with another 4-2 in Heat 5 and a 5-1 supplied by Morris and Ellis in the next, the home side had moved into an eight-point lead.
The visitors then began to make more consistent starts with a run of race wins broken only by Bellego in Heat 9, the Frenchman reeling off three wins from his opening three outings.
But three successive Belle Vue 4-2s followed as the gap narrowed to two points, and the visitors could easily have taken maximum points in Heat 10 only for debutant Tobiasz Musielak – who made a solid debut aboard machinery borrowed from ex-Robin Grzegorz Zengota – to bundle past Max Fricke for second place midway through the race.
Bellego held his nerve to win Heat 13 whilst Cook and Bjerre combined to squeeze out Morris – but the celebrations started in the Swindon pits one race later when Ellis and Bellego roared from the start to get the better of Dan Bewley and Rohan Tungate in the penultimate heat.
Bjerre’s win in a shared Heat 15 ensured the Aces left with a league point, but Swindon’s battle had already been won with a vital victory already in the bag.
Rossiter said: “Nobody gave us a hope in hell, and I think even they (Belle Vue) felt they should win – but when you tell these boys something, they do totally the opposite!
“It was a fantastic effort from David to score a paid maximum. He’s so focused, and I think when we told him we’d signed him as an asset, it took him up even further. He enjoys working with me, and he’s been a brilliant signing.
“I was really conscious of the tactical ride all night, and I’m sure some people were wondering why I hadn’t put David in Heat 10, but that’s why I did it the way I did.
“The will and determination from the team was sensational, and a special mention for Tobiasz because I thought he looked very accomplished, bearing in mind he wasn’t on his own bikes.
“His van broke down in Hannover and went back to Poland, so he borrowed Zengi’s kit, and hopefully when he gets on his own then look out!”
SWINDON 48: David Bellego 14+1, Adam Ellis 12+1, Nick Morris 10+1, Tobiasz Musielak 6+2, Zach Wajtknecht 5+1, Bradley Wilson-Dean 1, Jason Doyle r/r.
BELLE VUE 42: Kenneth Bjerre 10+1, Steve Worrall 8+1, Craig Cook 8, Max Fricke 7, Dan Bewley 5+1, Rohan Tungate 4+1, Jack Smith 0.
