SWINDON Advertiser Rider of the Year Tobiasz Musielak has been confirmed as Alun Rossiter’s second winter signing for the 2019 SGB Premiership season, following on from the announcement of Jason Doyle’s return to the Abbey Stadium earlier this week.

Musielak, 25, opted to spend a second year with the Robins last season after he helped the club to Premiership glory in 2017 when Wolverhampton Wolves were beaten away from home in the play-off grand final second leg to secure the club’s first silverware in four years.

His decision to stay loyal to the Robins proved fruitful as he not only landed the Advertiser’s Rider of the Year award, but also the supporters’ group Rider of the Year title.

And his popularity among fans made team manager Rossiter’s decision to attract the Leszno-born star back to his ranks an easy one.

He said: “He’s got a wise head, he’s very mature and so easy to deal with – he’s one of the most loyal Polish riders that has been around.

“He’s very popular, he was the fans’ favourite – their choice.

“And we have to listen to the fans. They don’t know everything that goes on, but we have to look into what they want.”

Returning on a 6.52 average, Rossiter believes Musielak benefitted greatly from the togetherness in the Robins camp last year – adding that, in his opinion, he was never comfortable racing in his homeland.

The former Wolverhampton racer struggled for form in the Polish Extraliga when racing for Czestochowa, as Rossiter revealed he would often fly to England in a despondent mood on Monday evenings before regaining confidence with the Robins ahead of his Swedish commitments on Tuesday.

Rossiter explained: “He had troubles with his club in Poland (Czestochowa), where the manager didn’t believe in him, from what I can understand.

“Of course, the standard in England is different. But I watched him beat good riders – and that must be frustrating for him in a way.

“It’s different in Poland, teams are made to spar against each other. And he was sparring against juniors, I don’t see how sparring with juniors is going to make Tobiasz better.

“He will be far better off sparring with better riders.

“If you look at his scores in Poland, he under-performed. But when you speak to him, you can work out why he wasn’t performing in his home country last year.”