Event two of the Speedway World Cup sees Great Britain host Denmark, Sweden and USA at the Norfolk Arena, Kings Lynn on Monday night.
Denmark:
Anders Secher was spoilt for choice when it came to selecting his top four riders. Denmark are defending World Cup champions and two current Grand Prix stars, a former Grand Prix star who only missed this season after being injured last season and a rising star who has the capability to be future multiple world champion it is clear Denmark have a good chance on retaining their title.
Current Kings Lynn number one Niels-Kristian Iversen has sensibly been made captain by Secher over Nicki Pedersen. Iversen’s in-depth knowledge of the track will come of great value to youngster Michael Jepsen Jensen who hasn’t had much experience in Britain.
Three times world individual champion Nicki Pedersen was an easy choice for Secher to make. Currently fifth in the world on 71 points the 36 year old will be hoping to add a fourth world cup winners medal to his collection.
Michael Jepsen Jensen can be classed as the least experienced of the Danish side. The former under-21 world champion has a very bright future ahead of him having already won the Nordic Grand Prix in Vojens last year.
Kenneth Bjerre is the final rider in the Danish line up, after a year to forget last year where he broke his leg in a nasty crash with Jerk Hampel, the 2010 Danish champion is back with the Peterborough panthers and has got his career back on track.
Great Britain:
Team boss Neil Middleditch has created a talking point amongst British fans with the inclusion of Edward Kennett. However, the 26 year old is keen to prove his critics wrong. Chris Harris captains the side in the number one spot. Harris has been able to focus on his league racing and confidence by not competing in the Grand Prix series.
Edward Kennett started the season brightly for new club Swindon although in the past month has struggled with form for the Robins. British fans have voiced their opinion about Kennett and feel that there are younger just as talented riders who deserve a chance. Based on his two appearances at the Norfolk Arena this season scoring eight paid ten and six Kennett has decent knowledge of the track.
Key man in the Great Britain side is undoubtedly Tai Woffinden; the 22 year old is currently second in the grand prix standings and is current British Champion. Woffinden has stepped up to the world scene and took it by storm making three grand prix finals winning one and coming third in another.
The Batard Sparta Worclaw rider has certainly been a man leading by example for British riders such as Craig Cook and Ashley Birks. Cook, 26, has the honour of filling the fourth team place within team GB. The Edinburgh Monarchs and Belle Vue rider fully deserves this opportunity on the world stage after reaching the final of the British final this year and reeling in the points for both teams.
Sweden:
It was always going to be an uphill struggle for team manager Bo Wirebrand and his Swedish national side as they going into the World Cup without Grand Prix stars Fredrik Lindgren and Andreas Jonsson.
Daniel Nermark who rode for the Kings Lynn Stars as recent as 2012 so his knowledge of the Norfolk Arena will be important to the rest of the Swedish side’s performance. Nermark is joined by Peter Ljung who is captaining the side.
Ljung, 31, was part of the 2003 World Cup winning side and has had his fair share of experience on the world stage after finishing 14th in the 2012 grand prix standing on 57 points. With Denis Andersson and Jonas Davidsson make up the final two places.
USA:
On paper it has to be said that the USA have weakest side of event two despite having former two times World Champion Greg Hancock in their side. Over the past twenty years American speedway has declined rapidly.
Hancock, at the ripe age of 43 is still able to mix it with the best in the world finishing third in the standings last year. Though the Americans are not expected to progress any further, riding in a world meeting on this scale with Hancock and the 1996 World Champion as their manager will provide Wells and Manzares with valuable skill and understanding of the sport to take with them in to their future.
Ryan Fisher, another Peterborough Panthers rider, is captaining the American team accompanied by 19 year old Gino Manzares, Ricky Wells and Hancock. Wells who was born in New Zealand is a former two times Under 21 National Champion who has a bright future ahead of him in the sport.
Though Hamill has taken a more reserved role on the world scale back in America he still enjoys racing having been crowned the US National Champion last year.

The second and third teams will again go through to Thursday’s race off where only the top team on the night will make the final.

The 2013 , a week where the best riders from seven nations battle it out for the World Team Cup crown.  This is the second year of the new World Cup format meaning that the final host nation Czech Republic have been handed an automatic place in the final on 20^th July.

Round one takes place in Czestochowa, Poland, Saturday (13^th) between Australia, Latvia, Poland and Russia.

Australia.

A nation far short of talented speedway riders, could have named numerous teams all capable of winning the World Cup. Troy Batchelor captains the side after current individual world champion and obvious choice for the role Chris Holder is out after suffering multiple injuries in a horrific crash at Coventry last Friday. Holder suffered a broken shoulder, hip and heel.

Batchelor, 25, who rides for Swindon in the Elite League and is the 2013 Australian Champion, has served his role as the Robins number one scoring well in most meetings as well as abroad.

Darcy Ward who himself has not long come back after suffering a badly broken shoulder is still on top form despite the lengthy time on the sidelines having won his first Grand Prix.

Davey Watt and Jason Doyle make up the final places of the Australian team. Watt adds the experience to the side as the oldest member at 35. Doyle, 27, has been scoring well for Birmingham, however has been under the radar due to his fellow countrymen in Ward, Holder and recent times Batchelor who have excelled around him. On the other hand, Doyle has the adequate ability to be able to propel Australia into the race off if not further.

Latvia.

On paper, are a lot weaker than the other three nations in this round. However Latvia appears to be a nation rising in the world of speedway and could be vital in taking points off the likes of Poland or Australia in their push to go straight through to the final.

Kasts Puodzuks has the honour of captaining his side; the 2007 Latvian champion has made two appearances on the world stage in the Grand Prix, once in 2006 where he scored four points and again a year later where he scored one.

The more known name of the Latvian side, Andzejs Lebedevs, is part of the Elite League Kings Lynn side. The 18 year old has impressed so far in his three meetings and has twice exceeded his 4.50 average.

Maksims Bogdanovs and Vjaceslans Giruckis both 24 years of age make up the other two places in the mostly unknown Latvian team.

Poland.

Five times world cup winner Tomasz Gollob is captaining his polish side alongside a very strong Polish side with a large amount of experience; look strong enough to be a serious contender for the title. With three grand prix stars and Poole Pirates star Maciej Janowski completing the line up.

Joining the 2010 World Champion is 31 year old Jarek Hampel. Hampel has bounced back from a serious leg break in 2012 and is currently the highest places Polish rider sitting fourth in the standings on 72 points.

With Kasprzak and Janowski into the bargain there is no doubt that the Polish team is very strong and with the added influence of being in their own back yard with thousands of fans boosting their confidence they will be a hard team to stop.

Russia.

Russia has faced a biter blow when current Grand Prix series leader Emil Sayfutdinov has pulled out of the meeting due to his broken foot. Through the star did ride in the last Grand Prix he felt a break would be better for him in the long run.

This is a double blow in the sense that Czestochowa is Sayfutdinovs home track in the Polish league meaning his track knowledge could have proved pivotal in the result of the meeting. Similar to Latvia, Russia are an up and coming nation on the speedway scene with Sayfutdinov leading the charge.

Artem and Greg Laguta have also withdrawn from the meeting for reasons unknown. With the lack of the top three riders Russia is much depleted having originally been tipped as contenders to lift the trophy in a week’s time.

Viktor Kulakov is the replacement for Sayfutidinov. He is joined by Vladimir Borodulin, Ilya Chalov and Captain Andrey Kudryashov.

The team who finishes top on Saturday will join Czech Republic in the final with the second and third placed teams going through to the race off on Thursday in Prague.