PETER Kildemand is hopeful home advantage can fire him to first Danish title this season as he prepares to get his campaign underway this evening.

Denmark’s best riders gather in Holstebro tonight for the first of a two-round series, which concludes at Kildemand’s Fjelsted home track on August 8, with the likes of three-time world champion Nicki Pedersen and Niels-Kristian Iversen expected to go well.

The meeting will also decide who represents Denmark in the Grand Prix qualification rounds later in the year and, as long as he is not out of the picture by the end of round one tonight, Kildemand is confident he can put in a strong showing when the title is decided in the summer.

“Being Danish champion would be amazing and it would mean so much to me if I could do it this year,” he said.

“There are a lot of strong riders in there and I know it will be hard but I am in good form and I can give it a good go. It helps knowing the second meeting is at my Danish home track because I have a lot of confidence there.

“If I am in a good position after round one then I don’t see why I can’t do something. Holstebro can be quite slick so the younger riders might have a good chance and of course Nicki (Pedersen) and Niels (Iversen) will be up there.”

The likes of Mikkel Bech, Kenni Larsen, Ulrich Ostergaard and Leon Madsen made it through a semi-final held last week, but Kenneth Bjerre doesn’t ride as he prepares to make his return from a collarbone injury at the Finnish Grand Prix on Saturday.