TITLE-CHASING Kenneth Bjerre escaped relatively unscathed from a horror crash just days before the British Grand Prix.

TITLE-CHASING Kenneth Bjerre escaped relatively unscathed from a horror crash just days before the British Grand Prix.

Paramedics feared that the Peterborough number one had broken his wrist during the Readypower Panthers 37-56 Elite League defeat at Eastbourne on Monday night.

The Denmark star, currently third in the World Championship standings, lost control in Heat 13 as Peterborough’s chances of taking a point finally disappeared after a disastrous first half to the clash.

Bjerre suffered a hand and knee injury that required several stitches although he will be fit enough to take his place at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

He initially went to Eastbourne General Hospital but after being told there was a four-hour waiting time for treatment was driven to a hospital close to his Huntingdon home.

He said: “I know my wrist isn’t broken because I’ve done that before and know how it felt.”

First aiders were worried that unless he had the gash in his knee stitched and cleaned he could contract an infection.

His spill was the final straw for the Panthers who were totally at sea in the opening races.

They trailed by a massive 19 points after only eight races and but kept things level over the last seven heats against a rejuvenated Eagles side that had major power at reserve with Peterborough asset Lukas Dryml and Sweden’s Simon Gustafsson scoring 23 points between them.

Bjerre was the only Peterborough rider to win a race in the first half of the meeting but then Troy Batchelor and skipper Niels-Kristian Iversen both had a couple of victories in the latter stages.

EASTBOURNE 56 (Lukas Dryml 12, Adam Shields 12, Simon Gustafsson 11:4, Joonas Kylm�korpi 8:5, Tomasz Jedrzejak 7:1, Ricky Kling 6:1).

PETERBOROUGH 37 (Kenneth Bjerre 11, Troy Batchelor 9, Niels-Kristian Iversen 7, Rory Schlein 5:1, Krzysztof Buczkowski 3:1, Dakota North 2:1, Norbert Kosciuch 0).