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POLES PICK UP RECORD 16TH WORLD UNDER-21 TEAM TITLE AT DeWALT FIM SON2 IN RIGA

Polish hero Mateusz Cierniak admits patience paid dividends after leading his country to a record-breaking 16th FIM Speedway of Nations Under-21 World Championship in Latvian capital Riga on Friday night.The Poles won the DeWalt FIM SON2 event to lift sport’s junior team championship for the 10th straight season, with Cierniak leading partner Wiktor Przyjemski to a 7-2 victory over Danish duo Esben Hjerrild and Jesper Knudsen in the Grand Final.This was after Poland topped the score chart over 21 heats on a commanding 39 points. Denmark joined them in the title-decider after beating hosts Latvia 5-4 in the Grand Final Qualifier.Despite Latvian racer Ricards Ansviesulis winning the race, Hjerrild and Danish teammate Emil Breum fended off Riga favourite Francis Gusts for four laps to break the home side’s hearts. But Latvia still made history, winning bronze – their first-ever medal in an FIM Speedway team championship.But the night belonged to Poland and Cierniak, who led their scoring on 22 points from a possible 24, before winning the Grand Final.Along with teammates Przyjemski and Bartlomiej Kowalski, Cierniak had to fight furiously for his points on a number of occasions and admitted patience was the key as he captained his country to an historic gold, adding to the senior side’s Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup win in Wroclaw on July 29. 

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LEBEDEVS EYES LATVIAN DREAM TEAM WITH GUSTS

Latvian hero Andzejs Lebedevs hopes Riga racer Francis Gusts can emerge as the country’s next big star as he plots an FIM Speedway of Nations medal bid in the coming years.Gusts leads Latvia’s under-21 side as they go for DeWalt FIM SON2 gold at Riga’s Bikernieki Speedway Stadium on Friday, taking on 15-time FIM Team Speedway Under-21 world champions Poland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Denmark, Australia and Germany.Lebedevs then flies the Latvian flag on Saturday when the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga takes place at a sold-out Bikernieki, which stages the country’s first SGP event since 2017.While Latvia does not have the talent pool enjoyed by nations like Poland, Denmark, Britain and Australia, Lebedevs has high hopes for Gusts, who is a member of the SGP2 series and topped the score chart on 22 points at the 2022 SON2 event in Vojens as Latvia finished fourth.The pair teamed up to take Latvia to its first world team final at the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations in Manchester, where they finished sixth.With only two top riders needed for a country to push for FIM SON gold, Lebedevs hopes Gusts can be the partner he needs to make more history and improve on their 2021 result in the coming years.He said: “Francis is one of the biggest talents from Latvia. I really keep my fingers crossed for him and his career. My dream is to have a teammate who can be better than me or at the same level, and then we can push each other to the front. Maybe then we can show something in the Speedway of Nations, for example. “I hope this time comes really soon and I have this teammate like Francis. Hopefully he shows what he can really do, and we can soon make a dream team for Latvia.”Lebedevs may not be racing in Riga until Saturday night, but he’s planning to be trackside on Friday as he backs his young compatriots to go for DeWalt FIM SON2 glory.He said: “I will support the guys from the pits on Friday. I will do whatever is possible for my colleagues from the national team.  “Francis comes from Riga. This is his real home track, and he knows this track really well. I hope he leads from the front, takes his teammates with him and they push hard.“If they make the final, anything can happen. Hopefully being on our home track will be the key for success and we can win an historic first medal for the Latvian team.”

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STARTING LINE-UPS FOR DEWALT FIM SON2 IN RIGA THIS FRIDAY REVEALED

The starting line-ups for the DeWalt FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 event in Riga this Friday have been confirmed.The sport’s top seven junior sides race for the FIM Speedway of Nations Under-21 World Championship at Bikernieki – the night before the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga takes place on Saturday.The DeWalt FIM SON2 event sees all seven teams meet each other over a 21-heat pairs format, with the country that scores the most points advancing directly into the Grand Final. The second and third-placed nations then meet in the Grand Final Qualifier for the right to join them, with the Grand Final winner crowned this year’s FIM Speedway of Nations Under-21 world champion.Hosts Latvia take on 15-time winners and reigning champions Poland, plus Czech Republic, Great Britain, Denmark, Australia and Germany, who step into the line-up for 2023, replacing Sweden, who finished seventh last year.Every country selects three riders – two starters at No.1 and No.2, with a reserve at No.3, who can be called into action at any time.

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WOZNIAK AND PAWLICKI POWER POLES TO VICTORY IN POZNAN

Polish duo Szymon Wozniak and Przemyslaw Pawlicki both staked their claim for Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup places, contributing 12 points apiece as Poland beat a Rest of the World side 48-42 in Poznan on Saturday.The meeting was Poland’s final test ahead of their Monster Energy FIM SWC Final showdown in Wroclaw on July 29, with the hosts seeded straight through to the last four and awaiting the winners of Semi-Final 1 on July 25, Semi-Final 2 on July 26 and the Race Off on July 28.Triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik sat out the meeting along with Wroclaw hero Maciej Janowski. Both riders will nonetheless fancy their chances of landing a place in the Polish side.Former Polish champion Wozniak topped the scoring for the men in red and white on 12 paid 13, with Pawlicki in hot pursuit on a straight 12.Former Speedway GP finalist Dominik Kubera notched nine, with Piotr Pawlicki scoring seven and Speedway GP rider Patryk Dudek picking up six paid seven. FIM SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak scored two paid three.Aussie ace Jason Doyle headed the Rest of the World team’s scorechart on 10 paid 11, with Latvian racer Andzejs Lebedevs adding eight paid nine and double Danish champion Anders Thomsen scoring eight points.Ukrainian star Aleksandr Loktaev collected six paid seven, Denmark’s Jonas Seifert bagged five paid six and Speedway GP rider Max Fricke added five. 

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LIONS RECRUIT GB YOUNG GUN KEMP

Great Britain Under-21 star Drew Kemp is back in the Sport Insure Premiership after signing for Leicester.One of the country’s most promising junior riders, Kemp surprisingly started 2023 without a club in any of the British leagues, but he was recently snapped up by Scunthorpe in the Cab Direct Championship.Now he’s doubling up in both of the top leagues after replacing local rider Dan Thompson in the Lions side as the club’s Rising Star.Kemp impressed as a guest with a seven paid eight-point haul against Ipswich at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena last Thursday and makes his full-time debut at home to Belle Vue this Thursday.While club boss Stewart Dickson admits it was a tough call to drop long-time club prospect Thompson from their Premiership side, he admits the chance to recruit the triple British Under-19 champion was one he could not turn down.He said: “Firstly I’d like to thank Dan for his contribution so far this season. But it’s my job as team manager to provide the supporters with the best team possible, and I do think this change makes us stronger.“I have a responsibility to the owners and the supporters to do that, and whilst everyone saw how well Drew rode last Thursday, I also think it could help us on the away tracks.“I know it’s really tough on Dan and maybe not everyone will agree, but sometimes in this sport you have to make tough decisions and that’s what I’ve done here.”Kemp will be among the favourites to line up for GB at the FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 event in Latvian capital Riga on August 11.

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POLES PICK UP RECORD 16TH WORLD UNDER-21 TEAM TITLE AT DeWALT FIM SON2 IN RIGA

LEBEDEVS EYES LATVIAN DREAM TEAM WITH GUSTS

STARTING LINE-UPS FOR DEWALT FIM SON2 IN RIGA THIS FRIDAY REVEALED

WOZNIAK AND PAWLICKI POWER POLES TO VICTORY IN POZNAN

LIONS RECRUIT GB YOUNG GUN KEMP