POOLE Comets' plans for the new season have been thrown into some disarray with the news that 2019 ICSF world champion Ben Mould has left the club, writes Gordon Day.

With his two-year deal at Poole expiring, Mould has decided to join the Oxford-based Horspath Hammers.

Almost unbeatable around the Harbourside Park raceway during 2019, his departure has left a large gap in the Comets team building plans for the new season, which starts April 5.

However, the Poole management have already started to rebuild by bringing back former club captain Dean Hook and Polish international Dawid Bas. Hook will start the season as part of the first-team squad, while Bas will look to rejoin the squad from Katowice as part of his preparation for the 2020 World Championship.

Wil Bristowe retains the captaincy of the first-team squad that includes Aaron Smith, Fraser Garnett, Matt Mildon, Jay Briggs, Kieran Yeatman and Nathan Goulden.

The squad are already taking part in pre-season training sessions where they hope to be joined soon by Matej Ganczarek, who is recovering from an ankle injury that kept him off-track for most of last season.

The 2020 campaign will see Exeter, Newport, and Horspath provide Poole with regional opposition, while Ipswich, Birmingham, Leicester, Wolverhampton and Blakenham will also contest the English League.

Comets 2020 home fixtures:

March:

Sun 15: Swietochlowice (international challenge)

April:

Sun 5: Rose Bowl (individual)

Sat 25: BYJL Regional Championship

Sun 26: Leicester (league)

May:

Sat 23: Birmingham (league)

Sat 23: Ade Gale Laurels (individual)

Sun 24: Ade Gale Laurels (individual)

June:

Sun 28: Swindon (challenge)

July:

Sun 12: Battle of Britain/Grand Prix (individual)

Sun 19: Ipswich (league)

August:

Sun 23: Newport (league)

September:

Sun 6: Horspath (league)

Sun 20: Gt Blakenham (league)

Sun 27: Exeter (league)