EUROPEAN PREVIEW - SGP/SGP2 Prague

Image courtesy of Steve Hone Photography

Whilst Bartosz Zmarzlik and Fredrik Lindgren are tied at the top of the World Championship standings on 36 points apiece, Robert Lambert is the highest placed GB rider in fifth place on 23.

Tai Woffinden is just behind on 21 whilst Dan Bewley currently sits in eighth position with 20.

The Marketa Stadium has hosted Grand Prix racing since 1997 and Saturday sees it stage its 29^th event.

And it has often proved a successful venue for Woffinden, who collected a hat-trick of wins there in 2013-15, and has reached the Final on five other occasions, including second place finishes in 2020 (twice) and last year, which was his only podium finish of 2022.

Bewley also has fond memories of Prague as he won his first GP heat there last season and then moved on to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Meanwhile Lambert is yet to reach the semi-finals in four previous appearances at the Marketa, with his best performance so far being the seven Championship points he picked up in the first round of the 2021 double-header.

Last year’s event was won by Martin Vaculik, whilst Zmarzlik was successful in both 2020 meetings as Prague’s double-header during the Covid-affected season was the only event to take place outside Poland.

The GB riders were all in the big points in Sweden on Tuesday, with Woffinden scoring 14 from five rides in a landslide 66-24 home win for Vastervik over Rospiggarna.

Bewley also scored 14 as Dackarna won 53-37 at Piraterna, whilst Lambert contributed 11+2 for Smederna as they won 55-35 at Lejonen.

Meanwhile the GP2 series gets underway on Friday with Great Britain’s Anders Rowe receiving a call-up for the Prague event from his original position as second series reserve, taking the place of the injured Francis Gusts.
Defending champion Mateusz Cierniak is favourite to kick off the three-round series with a win, with fellow Polish youngster Bartlomiej also highly fancied following his impressive display in the GP of Warsaw.
Germany’s Norick Blodorn, Emil Breum of Denmark and Australia’s Keynan Rew are also tipped to be amongst the pace-setters.

Round 8 of PGE Ekstraliga action is split over two weekends, with four clubs in action this Sunday and the other two matches taking place on June 25.

With Wroclaw involved in the second set of fixtures, Lublin have the opportunity to close the gap at the top to a single point if they can take both match and bonus points at Grudziadz.

Having won the reverse fixture 55-35 last week, the bonus point should be assured, whilst GKM urgently need wins to avoid being cut adrift at the bottom, as they are currently three points behind Krosno.
Elsewhere on Sunday, there is a mid-table clash between Leszno and Gorzow, with the bonus point very much in Gorzow’s favour after their 57-33 home win last week.

Torun are also inactive this weekend as their home match with Czestochowa takes place on June 25.

In Division One, SEC qualifier Andreas Lyager led Bydgoszcz to a 49-41 win over Gdansk on Thursday with a 13+1 score from five rides, whilst Nicolai Klindt scored 15 from six for the visitors.

The result leaves Bydgoszcz four points behind leaders Zielona Gora heading into the weekend fixtures, where they race at home to third placed Ostrow on Sunday.

Zielona Gora have a home match against Lodz on Saturday, whilst Gdansk host Poznan who are just ahead of them in the table going into the meeting.

The other Sunday fixture sees the bottom club Rynbik looking to move level on points with Landshut.

Division Two leaders Opole include Adam Ellis for their top-of-the-table clash at Rzeszow on Sunday with just one point between the teams.

Elsewhere in the third tier, Gniezno face Tarnow on Saturday whilst Daugavpils take on bottom club Pila, who include Dan Gilkes, on Sunday.