Toruń has been waiting for a big speedway event for several months. Finally it happened tonight with an excellent inaugural round of the TAURON SEC 2020 series at the Motoarena. The front-runners were in top form and the fans got to see some great duels on the track.
Fortunately, the weather was favourable for a great show with the thermometers showing about 25 degrees and the sky dotted with harmless clouds – good omens for what was coming up from 5 pm.
The beginning of the competition was no big surprise. There were two victories apiece for Leon Madsen and Nicki Pedersen but also Zmarzlik, Smektala and Lambert all showed great speed. Smektala was especially impressive in Heat 6, where he managed to beat the world champion.
Everyone was waiting with baited breath for the showdown between Pedersen and Madsen, but when Heat 10 finally came around, it was debutant, Timo Lahti, who stole the lime light by picking up three points. During the third series, the fans were again forced to rub their eyes in amazement. The solid favourite Bartosz Zmarzlik was made to watch the backs of Kacper Woryna and David Bellego, whom the world champion couldn’t pass even though he chased him right until the finish. The closer we got to the end of the main phase, the further Robert Lambert was moving on, defeating Smektala and Madsen with finesse. Although we did not see a lot of overtaking, the riders were close in almost every heat, putting a smile on the fans’ faces.
In the last series we could enjoy a battle between the best two riders in the world. In heat 17 Kai Huckenbeck seemed to have better cards than Leon Madsen right up to the finish line, where the Dane passed the German to take third place. At the front, Zmarzlik managed to deal with Grigorij Laguta quite quickly and secure three points.
Despite a great ride in Heat 20 by Smektala, where he left Pedersen and Mikkelsen behind, the Pole did not manage to make a direct promotion to the final. Instead, it was the above-mentioned Pedersen and the British rider Lambert who gained direct qualification.
The lineup for the Last Chance Heat looked like a Grand Prix heat with Smektala, Zmarzlik, Michelsen and Madsen waiting at the tapes. The young competitor from Fogo Unia Leszno used the advantage of the inside gate and finished first, with the 2018 European Champion in second place right behind him.
In the last race of the evening, Madsen showed that a great finale is his element. The Dane took advantage of Nicki Pedersen’s problem on the back straight and sneaked through to take the victory. The second place went to Lambert and Nicki had to settle for the lowest step of the podium. There are still four rounds left for Smektala to improve on todays fourth place. Tonight, the front-runners showed their fighting spirits and now they will have to keep up the momentum in Bydgoszcz, Gniezno, Rybnik and Torun.
Results:
1. Leon Madsen (Dania) - 12 (3,3,0,2,1,3)
2. Robert Lambert (Wielka Brytania) - 14 (2,1,3,3,3,2)
3. Nicki Pedersen (Dania) - 14 (3,3,2,3,2,1)
4. Bartosz Smektała (Polska) - 11 (2,3,2,1,3,0)
5. Bartosz Zmarzlik (Polska) - 10 (3,2,1,1,3)
6. Mikkel Michelsen (Dania) - 10 (1,2,3,3,1)
7. Timo Lahti (Finlandia) - 8 (0,2,3,2,1)
8. Kacper Woryna (Polska) - 8 (1,2,3,w,2)
9. Grigorij Łaguta (Rosja) - 7 (3,0,2,d,2)
10. Krzysztof Kasprzak (Polska) - 7 (2,1,1,1,2)
11. David Bellego (Francja) - 6 (0,3,2,1,0)
12. Vaclav Milik (Czechy) - 6 (t,0,1,2,3)
13. Andriej Kudriaszow (Rosja) - 5 (1,1,0,3,0)
14. Kai Huckenbeck (Niemcy) - 3 (0,1,0,2,0)
15. Michael Jepsen Jensen (Dania) - 3 (2,0,1,0,u)
16. Peter Ljung (Szwecja) - 1 (0,0,0,0,1)
17. Igor Kopeć-Sobczyński (Polska) - 1 (1)
18. Karol Żupiński (Polska) - ns
Heat by heat:
1. Łaguta, Kasprzak, Kopeć-Sobczyński (Milik - t), Bellego
2. Pedersen, Jensen, Kudriaszow, Huckenbeck
3. Zmarzlik, Lambert, Michelsen, Lahti
4. Madsen, Smektała, Woryna, Ljung
5. Pedersen, Woryna, Lambert, Łaguta
6. Smektała, Zmarzlik, Kasprzak, Jensen
7. Madsen, Michelsen, Kudriaszow, Milik
8. Bellego, Lahti, Huckenbeck, Ljung
9. Michelsen, Łaguta, Jensen, Ljung
10. Lahti, Pedersen, Kasprzak, Madsen
11. Lambert, Smektała, Milik, Huckenbeck
12. Woryna, Bellego, Zmarzlik, Kudriaszow
13. Kudriaszow, Lahti, Smektała, Łaguta (d)
14. Michelsen, Huckenbeck, Kasprzak, Woryna (w/u)
15. Pedersen, Milik, Zmarzlik, Ljung
16. Lambert, Madsen, Bellego, Jensen
17. Zmarzlik, Łaguta, Madsen, Huckenbeck
18. Lambert, Kasprzak, Ljung, Kudriaszow
19. Milik, Woryna, Lahti, Jensen (u4)
20. Smektała, Pedersen, Michelsen, Bellego
Last chance heat: Smektała, Madsen, Zmarzlik, Michelsen
Final: Madsen, Lambert, Pedersen, Smektała
