EUROPEAN REPORT - Week 12

Image courtesy of Phil McGlynn

Dan Bewley scored 8+1 as the visitors hit back from a four-point deficit to take the win on the night, and also the bonus point after a previous big win over the same opponents at home.

Bewley ran a last in his first ride but he then combined with Artem Laguta for a 5-1 over Martin Vaculik in Heat 5 which levelled the scores, before defeating Vaculik in Heat 11 for a 4-2 which put Wroclaw ahead.

Then in Heat 14 Bewley teamed up with Maciej Janowski for another 5-1, this time at the expense of Anders Thomsen, which secured the match victory.

Elsewhere on Friday, leaders Lublin cruised to a 56-34 home win over Grudziadz, which leaves them one more win away from confirming their place in the top four.

On Sunday, Robert Lambert scored 8+1 for Torun as they defeated Zielona Gora 53-37 to maintain their second place, four points behind the leaders and also very much on course for the title play-offs with Emil Sayfutdinov collecting a 12-point maximum.

The drama came at Rybnik where the bottom club came from eight points down after Heat 8 to defeat Czestochowa 48-42 with the match swinging on a big crash in Heat 9.

Visiting duo Piotr Pawlicki and Mads Hansen both came down heavily on the way into the first bend, with Pawlicki suffering four broken ribs – whilst Hansen was quite extraordinarily permitted to take the re-run before pulling out, and it was subsequently confirmed he has two broken vertebrae.

Maksym Drabik (14) and Rohan Tungate (13+2) then led the charge for Rybnik as Kacper Woryna (10) was beaten on his old home track in the first meeting since ROW replaced Nicki Pedersen from their side.

The result leaves Czestochowa five points off the top four with five matches to go in their scrap with Grudziadz and Zielona Gora for the one realistically remaining play-off place.

In Metalkas 2. Ekstraliga Bydgoszcz had gone to the top with their 63-27 win over Ostrow on Thursday, but Leszno reclaimed the leadership when they took maximum points against Rzeszow, winning the meeting 55-35 with Ben Cook scoring 13 points.

Third placed Krosno lost ground on the top two with a surprise 48-42 home defeat against Lodz, with the withdrawal of Kenneth Bjerre due to a hand injury in his first ride proving pivotal to the outcome.

There was also an exciting 45-45 draw between Tarnow and Poznan to leave the visitors in the all-important fourth place in the table, one point ahead of Rzeszow.

In the National Speedway League there was a 47-41 win for Pila at Krakow, a result which took the visitors to the top of the table.

Richard Lawson continued his good form in Poland with 10+1 to top score for the hosts, in a meeting which was delayed for track work midway through.

Pila are one point clear of Gniezno and Gdansk, having ridden one match more than both, with Gniezno moving in to second thanks to a 55-35 win over Landshut with Adam Ellis enjoying one of his best meetings of the season. He scored 13 from five rides for the hosts whilst Charles Wright scored 8+1 for the visitors who are currently without the injured Leon Flint.

Meanwhile Daugavpils moved above Landshut and into the top four with a 49-41 win at Opole, leaving the home side bottom, two points adrift of Krakow having ridden a match more than the only team they can realistically chase.

The weekend’s other major event was in Gdansk on Saturday where Poland were crowned European Team Champions for a fourth season in succession.

The hosts won the title with 50 points, seven clear of their nearest rivals Denmark with Bartosz Zmarzlik scoring a 12-point maximum whilst Patryk Dudek and Przemyslaw Pawlicki were both in double figures with 12 and 10 points respectively from five rides.

Wiktor Przyjemski scored seven from three, winning both of the newly introduced reserves’ races which saw Poland take three points off Denmark, for whom Michael Jepsen Jensen and Fredrik Jakobsen led the way, both with 13 points.

It completed another strong week for Jepsen Jensen who was crowned Danish Champion three nights earlier in Brovst, and he will now turn his individual attentions to the SEC later this month.

Meanwhile Sweden took third place on 30 in total thanks to 12 from Timo Lahti, whilst Ukraine were left in fourth place on eight.

The resumption of the Swedish Bauhaus-Ligan on Tuesday saw several close matches – although not for Vastervik, who were comfortable 53-37 winners over Rospiggarna.

Lambert enjoyed a good night with 12+1 from five rides, dropping his only points to Kai Huckenbeck and Ryan Douglas, whilst Tom Brennan scored five from four including a race win. Ellis had four from six at reserve for the visitors.

That moved Vastervik to the top of the table because previous leaders Smederna were beaten 48-42 at third placed Lejonen, who took a 4-2 in Heat 15 from Dominik Kubera and Robert Chmiel after Zmarzlik had completed a 14-point haul.

Bottom club Piraterna are finally off the mark after a remarkable comeback to defeat Dackarna 46-44 despite having been trailing by 10 points with five races remaining.

Even after Heat 12 it was 32-40 but Przemyslaw Pawlicki was involved in 5-1s in Heats 13 and 15 along with Vaclav Milik and then Andreas Lyager to give the meeting a dramatic ending.

It was also a close contest in Vargarna, who looked likely to defeat Indianerna wen they led 42-36 with two races to go. But a 4-2 to the visitors in Heat 14 set up a last-heat decider, and Krzysztof Buczkowski and Szymon Wozniak then raced to a match-levelling 5-1 in Heat 15 to secure a 45-45 draw.