Picture this …

Saturday 15^th to be precise and Bandits’ owner Peter Waite presents 1993 World Champion Sam Ermolenko with the first trophy of the 2003 season.

The charismatic American was the main attraction as season 35 in the Borders roared into life with the Bandits facing Valsarna in the Vision Express International Challenge at Shielfield Park.

The Swedish club had been home to Tony Rickardsson, Tomas Gollob and Peter Karlsson over the years but Sudden Sam was the man leading their 2023 campaign alongside veteran Steffan Danno, Czech GP man Bo Brhel and Adam Skornicki – although the Pole became a Bandit for the night, “loaned” to us in an effort to even up the teams.

Flu sidelined Brhel at the last minute and Belle Vue’s Jesper Olsen was called into the line-up while Skornicki was something of a disappointment managing just four points. The same could not be said for Ermolenko, who produced a masterclass of speed and style, dropping just a single point from five rides. That was to Paul Bentley in a tumultuous heat 15 which had the 1000-plus crowd on its feet – Banger also ending on 14 points after trailing Ermolenko home when they first met.

Trailing 10-2 after the opening pair of races it looked ominous for the Bandits but they rallied and eventually lost 43-47 as Mikal Makovsky (8+2) and Claus Kristensen (7+1) backed up Bentley. Kristensen bravely rode on after a huge crash involving Olsen in heat nine but a trip to hospital on the way home saw the Dane diagnosed with foot and knee ligament damage which kept him out of the opening couple of weeks of the season.

Pictures: Graham Platten courtesy of the John Somerville Collection