ADAM Ellis says he is looking to build on what was a turbulent debut season at the Abbey Stadium last year.

The former Poole Pirate struggled with form at the start of the season, but came on strong in the latter stages of the Swindon Robins’ SGB Premiership-winning season.

“Last year I was looking to step it up from the year before. I had a really good year at Poole and it just didn’t happen,” he said.

“Towards the end of the year I was riding like I had been at Poole for the whole season before. This year I think I am just going to try to enjoy it and get off to a good start.

“After a good year my own expectations went up and it didn’t go right. It takes a lot to build up your confidence again.”

In November, Ellis went under the knife to rectify a wrist injury and after some early-season preparation with teammate David Bellego in France, the 21-year-old says he is feeling better than ever ahead of next week’s curtain-raiser, the two-legged Charity Shield against Belle Vue Aces.

“I had a cast on my wrist until the middle of January, so I just went back to France because I couldn’t really do anything,” said Ellis, who revealed he has taken a leaf out of Bellego’s book by getting in the gym before the season.

“Then I started doing some training with David, so that was good for a couple of months.

“I had my first skid about two or three weeks ago so everything is looking good and it is always an exciting time of year.

“I came back to Swindon last week and I was hoping to get some practice in, but with the snow and everything there wasn’t much on.

“After doing the training, we did loads - I think we did the equivalent of six meetings in two days.

“It was a lot of riding and I didn’t feel any affects from my wrist or the rest of my body. Previously I hadn’t gone to the gym much before a season, but after spending time with David.

“He lives 15 or 20 minutes away from me in France, he has a personal trainer and everyone can see the difference it made in him.

“That tempted me quite a lot so it was good for me that I was able to join him. It was a good laugh, we did five sessions a week and I feel a lot better than what I did last year.”