I am for instance thinking of the fact that Australian rider Mark Ashelford entered the UEM Championship. He did it in grand style and showed to be competitive from day one, eventually earning him the runner-up position as well as improving his personal best more than once during the event.
I am also thinking of the fact that Ashelford took out championship leader Jan Sturla Hegré already in the quarter finals and that he after that continued to take a win in the semi-final over Hans Olav Olstad (Olstad 2nd in the championship).
On the other side of the ladder and also of significance, was Per Bengtsson, whose team had not been very successful before the event in Tierp. But there Per in a way proved himself right and found that what he and the team have been looking for was there; a track where they could develop and use the tools on hand properly, where the limitation was not in the track itself. And where the ideas they have had and sticked to showed to work and where adjustments came out mostly as planned.
Bengtsson started the eliminations by taking out Lorenz Stäuble - the 2010 champion from further competition. That too is in a way significant and in the mind of Per Bengtsson and crew the championship points battle came very much alive again.
In a way also significant that the success streak for newcomer in the class Christian Jäger, came to a temporary halt at this event. It started well and Jäger was no. 1 qualifier with a new personal best of 6.503 sec. but was then taken out in the first round by Olstad (Jäger seemingly overpowering the track at the time)
A reflection and thought go to Svein Olav Rolfstad who has been struggling with the bike for a long time while team companion Hegré has been successful and consistent. But at the Tierp Arena Rolfstad came to piece with the bike for a while and was 2nd quickest during the qualifications. Then luck then ended (hopefully temporary this time) when he lost in the first round to Salakari, seemingly caused by traction problems.
Many fine and competitive teams found themselves outside the 8 bike ladder and of course with 20 teams for 8 spots the scenario can not be different. Heezen, Höiberget, de Haas and Kemppainen are only a few of the teams that we would have loved to have enjoyed more during the Sweden Internationals.
Leaving Tierp Arena for this time, it is still Jan Sturla Hegré who leads the championship points table, one mere point ahead of Olstad and now with Bengtsson only 12 points behind him. Jäger now 4th and still with the top 3 positions within reach.
Don´t miss to read the separate article about runner-up Mark Ashelford in this edition!
Höiberget non qualified this time.. here on track with Jaska Salakari
