2009's most successful riders

[schumi]

Patrick Hougaard

Polish I Liga Winner (Tarnow)
Danish Superliga Winner (Holsted)
U21 World Finalist
Junior Danish Champion

Darcy Ward

Junior Australian Champion
U21 World Finalist
British Premier League Winner (King's Lynn)
Polish Ekstraliga Finalist (Torun)

Tai Woffinden

British Elite League Finalist (Wolverhampton)
Swedish Elitserien Finalist (Vargarna)
U21 World Finalist

Nicolai Klindt

British Elite League Finalist (Wolverhampton)
Danish Superliga Winner (Holsted)
U21 World Finalist

Thomas H Jonasson

Junior Swedish Champion
Swedish Allsvenskan Winner (Valsarna)
U21 World Finalist

Adrian Miedzinski

Swedish Elitserien Finalist (Vargarna)
Polish Ekstraliga Finalist (Torun)

Adam Skornicki

British Elite League Finalist (Wolverhampton)
Swedish Elitserien Finalist (Vargarna)

Freddie Lindgren

British Elite League Finalist (Wolverhampton)
Polish Ekstraliga Finalist (Zielona Gora)

Chris Holder

Swedish Elitserien Finalist (Lejonen)
Polish Ekstraliga Finalist (Torun)

Piotr Swiderski

Polish I Liga Winner (Tarnow)
Swedish Elitserien Finalist (Lejonen)

[schumi]

A couple more points of interest, maybe.

Tomasz Gollob should perhaps appear on the list, pending the final GP, and being Polish Champion, but I didn't feel it fair to include him on the basis of his Polish and Swedish team's exit from the play-offs (Gorzow and Vastervik).

Gollob's inclusion would also mean adding Kauko Nieminen (Finnish Champion, Swedish Allsvenskan winner), Martin Smolinski (German Champion, German Bundesliga finalist), Nicki Pedersen (Danish Champion, Danish Superliga winner), Leigh Adams (Aussie Champion, British Elite League finalist) and Jason Crump (likely World Champion.)

Taking into account each riders' other league performances (and in the case of Nicki and Leigh, their GP results) I didn't think they had quite done enough to merit being on the final draft.

Interestingly my opinion is the rider who will be most disappointed with his season could be Hans Andersen. Poole finished 8th out of 9, Dackarna 5th out of 9 and losing out in the first round of the play-offs, and Gdansk finished 7th out of 8th and were relegated.

Although he did win the silver medal with Slangerup in the Danish League, I'm pretty sure this will be a season to forget for the Dane.

[schumi]

Now some more finals have been tied up, the picture looks a little different.

Darcy Ward

Junior Australian Champion
U21 World Champion
British Premier League Winner (King's Lynn)
Polish Ekstraliga Finalist (Torun)

Patrick Hougaard

Polish I Liga Winner (Tarnow)
Danish Superliga Winner (Holsted)
Junior Danish Champion

Chris Holder

Swedish Elitserien Winner (Lejonen)
Polish Ekstraliga Finalist (Torun)

Piotr Swiderski

Polish I Liga Winner (Tarnow)
Swedish Elitserien Winner (Lejonen)

Thomas H Jonasson

Junior Swedish Champion
Swedish Allsvenskan Winner (Valsarna)

Nicolai Klindt

British Elite League Finalist (Wolverhampton)
Danish Superliga Winner (Holsted)

We've lost Freddie Lindgren, as two finals puts him behind Leigh Adams and Nicki Pedersen. Also to go are Adrian Miedzinski, Adam Skornicki and Tai Woffinden after their loss in the Swedish finals, and Tai's defeat in the U21 final. So, even allowing for the Elite League and Ekstraliga to be finalised, it looks like Darcy Ward is this year's most successful rider.