Andrew is fit and ready

NEWS Saturday 13th February 2010, 10:05pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Andrew Tully is fit and ready and looking forward to the new season.

Last year he never quite recovered from his Sky TV crash early in the season, and he then broke his pelvis before making a remarkable late season return.

He says ?I've been doing a lot of swimming, I don't usually do much of that and just rely on a bit of pit biking and try to keep active riding the bike, but I'm just trying to make sure I haven't got any injury problems.

?I still get little aches, general aches and pains, even from the leg I broke four or five years ago ? that will never go away I don't imagine.

?After my first injury last year, I came back and for a week or two I felt OK, but then it all went wrong from then on. That's one of the reasons for doing the swimming, to keep everything moving.

?But everything seems fine and I can't wait for the season to start.?

Andrew generally seems to have plenty of speed and his machinery is coming together.

?I've been getting bits and bobs for the bikes as the winter's been going on, I'll be getting more this month, including the new exhausts ? I'm waiting for people coming back with what would be the best exhaust to use.

?Sean Wilson who does my engine is away doing tests and there are quite a few tuners doing tests.?

Early last season he doubled up with Peterborough, with an excellent debut meeting, before the Panthers changed the make up of their team. So far there are no Elite racing plans for 2010.

?I never expected a doubling up place given my nightmare end to the season. I never even thought about it, and I haven't spoken to anyone unlike last winter when I was quite keen and phoned Peterborough.

?This year I am concentrating on Edinburgh and if I ride well enough at the start then I hope an offer will come anyway. I felt I gave a decent account of myself at the start of last year.

?The Elite League seem to have gone for some low average double-uppers. People have their favourites and sometimes northern riders aren't in people's thoughts.?

Tully of course was in the 2008 league winning side and sees the 2010 team challenging for honours.

?I think the team looks good for this year, especially with Kalle the way he was going at the end of last year. He was awesome ? he could double his average. I'm looking to increase my average if I can stay away from injury, and Kevin is never going to stay on a 7-point average!

?I think Jozsef will have the chance to settle in and see how he adapts to Edinburgh. But if we have six riders scoring then Max will have a chance to find his confidence.

?I think the team looks pretty good and I am quite excited about it. To have Derek back would have been a bonus with the influence he can have but unfortunately that hasn't been possible.?

He has raised his average each season so far and plans more of that, naturally. In 2009 his home average actually fell and his away figure went up substantially.

?I think at the start of last season I did better at home and struggled away. I had quite a few exclusions due to being over-keen in my first rides, but later I felt I was scoring better away.

?I didn't think that was too bad a thing to be honest. In my Conference days I concentrated on improving my away average and that's what I was trying to do last season. If I can get my home average back up then my overall average will jump.

?I felt my gating was better for some weird reason after I came back from my broken pelvis.?