MONARCHS SIGN GERMAN CHAMPION

NEWS Thursday 13th August 2009, 6:32pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs have brought their complement of riders back up to 7 by signing the 20-year old German Champion Kevin W?lbert.

Just a couple of weeks after signing their first ever German rider, they have added a second. Kevin of course had been due to ride in the Scottish Open at the end of July, but that was rained off.

He won the German Championship last September, beating ex-Coventry rider Martin Smolinski in a run-off. One of his best results so far was a first place (14 points) in the Mseno qualifying round of the World Under-21 Championship.

Monarchs' promoter John Campbell said ?We previously thought that Kevin had too many commitments to be a possible signing, but since we started to discuss coming to the UK he has been willing to give up most of these in order to take this opportunity.

?He is extremely keen to ride for us.?

Kevin did make mention on his own website of coming to ride for Monarchs, before even the arrangements had been completed!

So Monarchs return to seven riders from Friday with a team lineup considerably different from the one which started the season. The team has been shaped by events rather than intentions and it is a team which lacks experience of UK racing, but the promotion hope that everyone will get behind the riders as they try to capitalise on what was a very good first half of the season with the original septet.

The promotion would be grateful to hear of anyone with any suggestions of accommodation for Kevin W?lbert.