DANE Tobias Thomsen will be returning to ride for Poole Pirates for 2025.

Pirates announced the rider, who will start on an average of 4.41, will return to Wimborne Road after he became a real fan favourite with some strong showings last season.

“I am really pleased to be signing for Poole again,” Thomsen said. “It means that I did something right in the end and you applauded it by inviting me back for 2025.

“I can't be more happy to sign for Poole because that is about the only place I wanted to be.

“I think I grew as a rider in 2024 and there were people that really helped me out and showed me the way and I am super happy to be back to entertain you guys for another year. That's the plan!”

(Image: Taylor Lanning) On the signing, promoter Danny Ford told the Daily Echo: “Absolutely delighted to welcome Tobias back.

“I think last season was a season of ups and downs for Toby.

“Started off pretty solid and then had a really big dip mid-season, saw him drop to reserve and even at reserve was struggling to score the points.

“However, I think that was more things going on in the background for him. He had a lot going on.

“His best friend unfortunately passed and I think that took more of a toll on him than he was probably giving up.

“Also machinery, he was doing a lot of the work himself.

“Then at the end of the season he got into a partnership with a very good mechanic who's well known around these parts.

“We saw the best of Toby in the playoffs and the KO Cup final, so we'll be hoping to see that Toby from the start next season.”

(Image: Richard Crease) Ford said Thomsen was arguably the winner for the side in the Championship Grand Final and the KO Cup final, so the club are hoping to see him replicate those performances in 2025.

“Getting those double figure points at reserve really was the difference between us and Oxford,” Ford said.

“We've seen he can do it in the biggest meetings and the highest stakes.

“He said that that grand final was by far the biggest meeting he'd ever been in and the most pressure he'd ever felt.

“If he can do it in those meetings, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to do it week in, week out. He knows what to expect now.

“He's done a full season in the UK for the first time in his career. He's been to all the tracks in the league.

“He's got some really, really good help coming up this year from one of the club sponsors which I think they're going to help him out machinery as well as on the mechanical side of things.

“So I really hope we can see the best of Toby. If he can start anything like he finished off last season then we should be on for a winner.”

Thomsen joins Richard Lawson and Zach Cook as riders retained by Poole for next year.