GB QUALIFY FOR EURO PAIRS FINAL!

Images courtesy of Steve Hone Photography

The national team finished second behind home nation Germany in Stralsund on Saturday night.

GB finished on 25, two points behind Germany (27) and just one ahead of Czech Republic (24) in a tight contest on the tricky circuit.

Tom Brennan was the star of the show with an 18-point maximum but Leon Flint’s seven point return including three maximum GB heat advantages, off all the bad gates, was just as key.

Allen said: “The emphasis is always on it being a team effort. We tried to create an environment where the boys worked well together as a team, which they did.

“You go there with a goal to qualify. Tactically I had to have a game plan which I stuck to and it paid off.

“Tom was the stand out rider on the day. I said to him before the meeting that he was the best rider there. I wanted him to behave and ride like that, and that’s exactly what he did.

“That was the best I had seen Tom ride. Unless you are experienced at riding abroad, I think the magnitude of what he did will be lost on a lot of people in the UK.

“It is not easy to go to a wide open, fast, flat German track and reel off six wins against continental riders who have grown up racing on those tracks.

“What he did was another coming of age, another milestone. A bit like his performance in the British Final.

“I can’t say enough good words about him, he was just a class act. He is the real deal.”

Allen was also quick to emphasise the “gritty” display from Flint to make sure GB qualified.

He added: “I knew I needed Tom to almost go through the card and I needed Leon to dig deep.

“The plan was to give Tom the best gate every time and for Leon to get stuck in and get points wherever he could. He did just that.

“I’m really proud of them all but I feel Leon has come on leaps and bounds.

“I felt he did really well in the Speedway of Nations 2. He was also in the pits for the SoN the following night and was a credit to himself.

“Leon is a team player. He didn’t complain once that I was putting him on the worst gate, he knew his role.

“He was just eating dirt in every race, he’d come in the pits looking like he’d been down a coal mine!

“But he reminds me of a young Chris Harris, he got stuck in, did his job brilliantly and didn’t moan. He’s in that mould, he’s gritty and determined.”

While Brennan and Flint did the job necessary, Allen also praised the effort from reserve Ashton Boughen.

He said: “Ashton is where Tom was a few years back but he’s only 16 whereas Tom was 19.

“Huge kudos to Ashton for even being selected. I have to say his behaviour, attitude and professionalism was everything I would have expected of a British athlete.

“It was a really long way to go for practice and no races. But he knew the situation and I was transparent with him about that.”

RESULT:
GERMANY 27 (Q)
GREAT BRITAIN 25 (Q) Tom Brennan 18 / Leon Flint 7 / Ashton Boughen DNR
CZECH REPUBLIC 24
SLOVENIA 17
SWEDEN 16
NORWAY 11
UKRAINE 4