Doyle determined to earn Pirates place (From Bournemouth Echo)

Doyle determined to earn Pirates place

7:00am Saturday 21st November 2009

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FORGOTTEN Pirate Jason Doyle is back on a bike again after almost a year out injured and is targeting a dramatic Poole comeback next season.

Doyle aggravated a shoulder injury in a spill at Newport in March and missed the rest of the 2009 British campaign.

He returned to his Newcastle, New South Wales, home in Australia soon afterwards to undergo operations and recover.

But he exclusively revealed to the Echo today: “I’ve just come through my first practice at Tamworth and the shoulder is okay.

“I had a couple of what you might call competitive races against riders you probably wouldn’t have heard of and felt I hadn’t been off a bike.

“It was really good. I sort of surprised myself because I thought it might take longer to feel that way on the bike again.”

Doyle has been told by Castle Cover Pirates chief Matt Ford that if he can prove his fitness, there could be a 2010 team place waiting for him in their side.

It’s an enormous carrot for the 24-year-old, who originally sustained torn rotator cuff injuries in a crash at Mildura in January and had been making his initial comeback at Newport.

Doyle said: “I’d love to ride for Poole again, but I want to get fit for myself and get back over to Britain. I don’t want to be worried about a team place.

“I’ve had a few offers. I know I won’t be stuck for a team place if things go wrong with Poole.

“It’s great I’ve had almost a whole year off and people still want me to ride.

“It shows if I can stay fit and live up to my Elite League average, people want me.

“I definitely want to ride in the Elite. I just have to stay on the bike and get race fit.”

Doyle faces his first proper competitive test in a New South Wales Championship meeting at Tamworth on December 5.

The Aussie, currently working in the building trade, said: “I’m doing all three national championship rounds, the Big Western in Perth, the state titles and a few other smaller meetings.

“I know I can ride now and fall off and it won’t hurt my arm. I’ve done the hard yards in the gym.

“I’ve been in there six times a week, two or three hours a night, whenever I want.

“I just have to get the scores to know I’m back up there with the other guys again.

“I’m flying back to Britain on February 10 but I don’t want people to be too judgemental at the start of the season.

“I know I can score points. It’s just proving it again if I can get enough meetings here.

“My shoulder has healed up well, but I’ll have to wait until I see what I can achieve here before I can tell Poole.”

With Jason Crump and Leigh Adams unlikely to line up in the Aussie championship, Doyle added: “I’ve just bought two new engines, so hopefully I can get one of those working well.

“The title’s wide open this year without Jason or Leigh.

“It gives riders like Chris Holder, Darcy Ward, Cameron Woodward, Ty Proctor and me a chance of Grand Prix qualification.”

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