GERMAN HELFER JOINS THE TEAM

NEWS Tuesday 3rd July 2012, 5:49pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

21 year old German rider Marcel Helfer will come in to the Scotwaste Monarchs team with immediate effect (subject to BSPA approval) and will make his debut at Armadale on Friday in the second leg of the KO Cup quarter final against Glasgow.

He replaces Charles Wright, and recent rumours are thus confirmed. Helfer has already been seen at Armadale on practise day, and in the Grand Prix qualifier at Berwick a couple of weeks ago.

He was unsuccessful on that occasion on the dauntingly wet circuit, but he has some impressive recent results. He was top scorer for Germany in the Under-21 World Team Cup qualifier, and in the German Open last month he defeated Newcastle heat leaders Mark Lemon and Stuart Robson.

There is never any certainty how a Continental rider will adapt to UK conditions, but time will tell.

Alex Harkess said “We are a bit under the points limit at the moment and we felt that we should utilise the difference to try to strengthen the lower end of the team. Apart from Sunday we haven’t been very successful away from home.

“That said it is always difficult to say goodbye to a rider and we wish Charles every success. He certainly went out on a high with his last ride on Sunday.”

Charles had pretty much done the job he was brought in to do, but he raised his average only fractionally from 3.75 to 3.88. He won his last ride on Sunday to put Monarchs ahead at Glasgow, and for sure there will be many supporters sorry to see him go, especially those who got to know him as a friendly young man.