MADSEN WINNING FITNESS FIGHT

Danish racer Leon Madsen insisted “I am slowly getting my fitness back” after defying a recent bout of flu to close on top spot in Speedway GP.

Madsen defied the illness to register a useful 12 championship points at the season-opening FIM Speedway GP of Croatia – Donji Kraljevec on April 30. After having two weeks to recovery, he stepped things up again in Warsaw last Saturday, finishing second in the final behind Max Fricke to claim 18 championship points.

He’s now just two behind series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik going into the Prague FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic on Saturday, May 28.

Madsen, who won the 2019 Warsaw event, was delighted with his result at PGE Narodowy as he heads to Marketa Stadium with top spot in his sights and his health improving.

He said: “It’s nice to finally start to feel a little bit better. It hard been hard for the last month with flu and stuff like that, but I am slowly getting my fitness back.

“It was crazy last Saturday and it is always crazy in these indoor meetings. The races go just like that – in such a short amount of time. You don’t always have time in the pits to affect your races, so it is really stressful and so crazy.

“I am happy to come second and be up there at the top in the classification – second place and only two points short of the leader. It’s good to be back and I am happy about that.”

Madsen and Danish rival Mikkel Michelsen clashed in the Warsaw final, with the European champion hitting the deck and being excluded from the re-run by referee Krister Gardell.

Madsen caught his rival coming off turn two, but feels Michelsen was leaning on him going into the third bend.

“We went down the straight side by side,” he said. “I really tried to avoid turning left and I also knew that if I took him off, I would probably be excluded.

“First we clashed a little bit, but then he got off me. Then you can see him leaning left again. I tried to avoid it, but he just leaned on me and put the bike down.

“He got excluded, but I didn’t try to take anyone off. Sometimes we are just racing hard. It’s the best riders in the world and you have to give 100 percent when it’s like that. I am just happy I didn’t get excluded and I made it to the podium. I also want to say that I am happy Mikkel is okay.”