Coventry Bees started their 2015 season with a 63-27 defeat at Leicester in an East Midlands Bowl First leg fixture.
The Bees fielding rider replacement for Hans Andersen fielded an otherwise full strength team and suffered 5-1 and 4-2 loses in the opening two heats.
Danny King and Chris Harris rode to a 4-2 in the third heat but that proved to be the only heat the Bees won all afternoon.
Leicester were 43-17 up and although Chris Harris, who top scored with ten points finished second and Danny King in heat eleven for a 3-3, the Bees were well beaten 63-27.
The next meeting for the Bees is the second leg on Friday night at Brandon.