Marketa Stadium in the Golden City forms the setting for two exciting World Cup races on Friday and Saturday. Friday night is the first division of the year in SGP 2 - U21 WC - where SES - Sønderjylland Elite Speedway is represented with Jonas Knudsen and Benjamin Basso, plus Grindsted's Kevin Juhl Pedersen. On Saturday, it will be the Czech Grand Prix, which is this year's 3rd division of the World Cup for seniors.
By Ib Søby
The new organizer of the World Speedway Championship, American Discovery, has chosen three weekends with a double program. After the weekend's fight in Prague, it will also happen in Cardiff and in Torun later this year.
In SGP 2 - U21 - it is difficult to put percentages on the Danish chances, but if the nerves over stepping on the big stage, it is not inconceivable that the Danish trio, Basso, Knudsen and Juhl Pedersen can create an uplifting result. As usual, Poland poses with a handful of young lions, led by the reigning world champion Jakob Miskowiak, who took gold last year ahead of the Danish SES driver Mads Hansen. In addition, Czech Daniel Klima, Peter Chulpac and also Jan Kvech, who also has a wildcard for Saturday's big World Cup Grand Prix, and thus gets a busy weekend.
For the first time ever, a woman is at as high a level as the U21 World Cup. It's German Celina Liebman who is writing a piece of speedway history, with a wildcard.
In Saturday's WC Grand Prix, it will be ultra exciting whether Mikkel Michelsen, Leon Madsen and Anders Thomsen can continue the good results from Gorican and Warsaw. It has not happened since 1996 that the first two Grand Prix races of the year have offered two Danes in the final. At that time it was Hans Nielsen and Tommy Knudsen, while Michelsen and Thomsen reached the last heat in Gorican, while Leon Madsen and Michelsen did it in the Polish capital.
Polish superstar Bartosz Zmazlik leads the series with 32 points, while Madsen and Michelsen breathe a sigh of relief with 30 points both. In 8th place we find Anders Thomsen, who needs a little tailwind after a heavy night in Warsaw.
Polish Artur Kuśmierz is the judge in both races.