TRACK legend Ivan Mauger has backed Peterborough to spring a title shaker – after a close-up view of them destroying Elite League champions Wolverhampton.
TRACK legend Ivan Mauger has backed Peterborough to spring a title shaker – after a close-up view of them destroying Elite League champions Wolverhampton.
The Readypower Panthers crushed second-in-the-table Wolves 57-35 to maintain their unbeaten home record.
The victory keeps Peterborough in fourth place in the table but they are only one point behind Lakeside with two matches in hand – and five points in front of Belle Vue who have ridden an extra three matches.
Six-times World Champion Mauger said: “They are the team no-one will want to meet in the play-offs!
“They can crush any team at home if they ride like they did tonight.
“As long as they get into the play-offs they could beat anyone on aggregate and they will only get better between now and the end of the season.”
Skipper Niels-Kristian Iversen, getting back to full fitness after his lengthy lay-off, led by example, winning four of his five races, including an incredible Heat 15 when he virtually bounced off the fence to pass Wolves’ skipper Tai Woffinden.
And the 22-point winning margin would have been even wider but for mechanic failures which saw reserve Norbert Kosciuch drop points in Heat 2 and top man Kenneth Bjerre grind to a halt while leading the last race.
Six of the home side picked up at least one race win and Kosciuch teamed up with Rory Schlein to dent Wolves’ chances of getting within striking distance of picking up a consolation point when he roared from last to second to deny Nicolai Klindt extra points in his Heat 12 tactical ride.
Wolves’ only heat advantage came when Aussie Proctor finished second to Troy Batchelor on a tactical ride after Fredrik Lindgren had deliberately slowed in the final 30 yards to make sure his partner doubled his score in second place.
PETERBOROUGH 57 (Niels-Kristian Iversen 13, Kenneth Bjerre 10:1, Troy Batchelor 10, Rory Schlein 9:1, Krzysztof Buczkowski 6:2, Mathieu Tresarrieu 5, Norbert Kosciuch 4:1).
WOLVERHAMPTON 35 (Ty Proctor 12:1, Tai Woffinden 6:1, Ludvig Lindgren 6:1, Nicolai Klindt 5, Fredrik Lindgren 3:1, Matthew Wethers 3).
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