Swedish 18 year old, Phillip Hellström-Bängs (pictured) will be racing against riders gathered primarily from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe when he travels to Daugavpils for 12 June.

The prize is a place in the 2021 U21 World Championship series that starts in September.

This favourite for this qualifier will probably be Wiktor Lampart, junior with Lublin who was the U21 European Champions in 2019. He was unable to attend last year’s final due to an injury in the last match of the season in the Ekstraliga for Lublin.

However, Marko Levyshyn (UKR) and Petr Chalpac (CZE) did appear in Pardubice last year and will be hoping to return to the competition in 2021.

One rider to look out for will be Latvia’s own Francis Gusts who has been racing on this very track with Lokamotiv in the Polish league. Denmark’s Tim Sörensen also cannot be discounted with his experience gained from racing with Daugavpils’ rivals in eWinner 2, Rzeszow.

Daugavpils line-up

1 Markus Maximus Lill EMF Estonia

2 Philip Hellström-Bängs SVEMO Sweden

3 Francis Gusts LaMSF Latvia

4 Andrei Popa FRM Romania

5 Dennis Fazekas MAMS Hungary

6 Mathias Pollestad NMF Norway

7 Petr Chlupáč ACCR Czech Republic

8 Jan Mihalik SMF Slovakia

9 Mitchell Cluff MA Australia

10 Ernest Matjusonoks LaMSF Latvia

11 Wiktor Lampart PZM Poland

12 Marko Levishyn FMU Ukraine

13 Mark Karion MFR Russia

14 Tim Sorensen DMU Denmark

15 Timi Salonen SML Finland

16 Evgenii Saidullin MFR Russia

17 Reserve Ricards Ansviesulis LaMSF Latvia

18 Reserve Daniils Kolodinskis LaMSF Latvia

Sweden’s Alexander Woentin (pictured) will face Poland’s top junior rider, Jakub Miskowiak, as well has his Częstochowa teammate, Mateusz Swidnicki, on Saturday 12 June for the qualifying to the U21 World Championship in Gustrow.

Last year’s finalists Jan Kvech (CZE), Mads Hansen (DEN), Lukas Baumann (GER) and Steven Goret (FRA) will also be battling for a places in the finals.

Not only that but Norick Blödorn (GER) and Matthew Gilmore (AUS) will also fancy their chances having raced in eWinner 2 already this year.

British riders, Drew Kemp and Tom Brennan will also have a rolling start in the competition as they have had a chance to race in the UK.

But few would bet against Miskowiak winning this qualifying meet with a maximum and he is surely favourite to win the entire competition after a blistering season in Poland’s top division. He is not just the best junior, but the best rider in the whole Częstochowa squad and currently sits in 10th place in the individual rankings with a heat average of 2.138. That’s better than former World Champions, Tai Woffinden and Chris Holder as well as the last three European champions, Leon Madsen, Mikkel Michelsen and Robert Lambert.

Gustrow line-up

1 Carlos Eber Ampugnani CAMOD Argentina

2 Jan Kvěch ACCR Czech Republic

3 Norick Blödorn DMSB Germany

4 Mathias Trésarrieu FFM France

5 Anže Grmek AMZS Slovenia

6 Mateusz Świdnicki PZM Poland

7 Matthew Gilmore MA Australia

8 Mads Hansen DMU Denmark

9 Lukas Baumann DMSB Germany

10 Tom Brennan ACU Great Britain

11 Alexander Woentin SVEMO Sweden

12 Michele Menani FMI Italy

13 Jakub Miśkowiak PZM Poland

14 Steven Goret FFM France

15 Sebastian Kössler AMF Austria

16 Drew Kemp ACU Great Britain

17 Reserve Ben Ernst DMSB Germany

18 Reserve Mario Niedermeier DMSB Germany

Vetlanda v Rospiggarna

It was perfect weather conditions on Thursday night when the Swedish season finally got underway for both teams when Hallstavik Rospiggarna travelled to Vetlanda. Whilst Vetlanda were showing off their new red-yellow team strip, the visiting team had new Polish signing, Patryk Dudek, pictured, in the squad for the first time.

The match was tight with fast racing and a track that allowed for overtaking around the outside. One of the first to take advantage of it home rider, Peter Ljung.

But everyone was waiting with baited breath for Heat 8 when Vetlanda’s double world champion, Bartosz Zmarzlik would face Dudek. The Zielona Góra rider was able to get his bike in front of the Gorzow star at the first turn. Zmarzlik, of course, was never going to give up and showed that he knows every inch of his “home” venue in Sweden. But Dudek was not to be outdone, blocking his rival at every turn. So it was Rospiggarna’s Dudek who won the battle of Poland over the reigning world champion.

Naturally, the two also met in the match’s final and deciding Heat with the score poised in the home team’s favour, 44:40.

Vetlanda’s Polish and Gorzow duo of Zmarzlik and Szymon Wozniak set off at high pace as soon as tapes were up in Heat 15. Dudek was furtherest out and tried to use the shale on outside to pass his Polish rivals. However, he only managed to pass teammate, Timo Lahti who rides on a Swedish licence in Elitserien.

The Gorzow pair looked like they would finish off the match in style with a 5:1. But just before he came into the final turn 3, Wozniak’s back tyre blew and Rospiggarna’s Dudek and Lathi sailed passed him with ease. But there was no stopping the best rider in the Ekstraliga taking the tapes first to make it a 3:3.

The Polish world champion lead his team to a 47:43 victory on the opening night of the season.

Top scorers

Bartosz Zmarzlik VET 14

Peter Ljung VET 9

Syzmon Wozniak VET 8

Patryk Dudek ROS 16

Timo Lathi ROS 10+1

You can watch official highlights of the match here.

After a month’s delay because of restrictions around the Coronavirus, the Swedish Bauhaus Elitserien finally got underway tonight. And the wait turned out to be a good idea because as of today (1 June) regulations have changed allowing 500 fans into the stadiums.

As there are 9 teams in Elitserien this year, Piraterna have their first match next week at home against Vetlanda. But 6 of the teams got started tonight.

1. Dackarna 45 v Västervik 45

The opening match of the season was a close affair in Målilla. But Jacob Thorssell was in great form involved in all the heat advantages in the match in the first 9 heats for the home team (Heats 2, 4, 9) so that Dackarna lead 31:23. Few would have bet on anything other than a home win at this stage.

However, the match became much more interesting after Heat 10 when the track seem to open up for far more lines and we saw super speedway with overtaking in every heat. That led to Västervik coming back into the match with two 2:4s to make the match 44:40 with just the final nomination heat to go.

Dackarna had been in the lead the whole match but as Artem Laguta (pictured) and Pawel Przedpelski took the checkered flag first and second in Heat 15, Västervik had turned defeat into an unlike 45:45 draw.

Top Scorers

Artem Laguta WMSK 16

Pawel Przedpelski WMSK 12+1

Rasmus Jensen DAC 10+2

Jacob Thorssell DAC 10

Maciej Janowski DAC 8

2. Masarna 33 v Smederna 57

Two 1:5 heats early on in the match as Michael Jepsen Jensen won Heat 4 and Andrzej Lebedevs won Heat 5 saw the visitors, Eskilstuna, take an early lead. They never let go of it against reigning champions, Avesta Masarna and the home team were treated to an embrassing Round 1 defeat.

Top Scorers

Pontus Aspgren SMED 13+1

Michael Jepsen Jensen SMED 12+1

David Bellego MAS 11

Martin Smolinksi MAS 6+1

Prezmyslaw Pawlicki MAS 5+1

3. Indianerna 38 v Lejonen 52

The visitors also won when Gislaved Lejonen travelled to Kumla. The Scandinavian duo of Oliver Berntzon and Nicolai Klindt played a key role in Lejonen's victory when they raced together in Heats 2 and 8 taking two 1:5s. It was the Swedish rider who took the checkered flag before his Danish colleague on both occasions.

Any chance that the home team might make a come back in the final third of the match was crushed by three 1:5s in the last four Heats and Lejonen ran out deserved winners.

Top scorers:

Robert Lambert LEJ 14

Oliver Berntzon LEJ 12+1

Rohan Tungate LEJ 11+2

Niels Kristian Iversen IND 12

Chris Holder IND 10

Grzegorz Zengota IND 4+1

4. Vetlanda v Rospiggarna

Match is on Thursday 3 June at 7pm.

#ZIEWRO

When Wroclaw travelled to Zielona Góra for Sunday’s only Ekstraliga match they were in no mood to please the home fans, even though the visitor’s, Tai Woffinden (pictured) has previously said this is his favorite arena because of the exuberant supporters.

Wroclaw took a 22 point lead (!) after just 8 heats as the visitors won every single heat as both reserves Przemyslaw Liszka (6+2) and Michal Curzytek won heats.

Daniel Bewley (14+1) was the teams highest scorer with a paid maximum and both Liszka and Maciej Janowski were one point off a paid maximum. The British former World Champion, Woffinden scored 11+2.

The home team experienced a total collapse. Patryk Dudek is having his best season for years but scored just 5 pts, as did Australian, SGP rider, Max Fricke. Matej Zagar scored 0 and was pulled from his third heat.

Wroclaw won by the terrifying figures of 27:63 almost certainly guaranteeing the bonus point before the team’s meet in Wroclaw in the last round of the regular season.

#LUBLES

Home team, Motor Lublin took a well deserved win against a Leszno team that always seemed one step behind their rivals.

Dominik Kubera’s presence at #8 for Lublin, where he scored 5+1 against his former team, shows last year’s champions’ weakness at reserve. Leszno’s 6-8 scored just 1 point between them.

But whilst that weakness is well known, it is rare that SGP star, Emil Sayfutdinov has a off day for his team. However, today was that day.

On the other side of the depot, Krzysztof Bucszkowski (7) had one of his best rides of the season, no doubt buoyed by the partisan crowd and the chance to beat the most dominant team of recent years. Mikkel Michelsen (10) also had a good night though his average was let down by a last place in Heat 25 with the match already won.

For Leszno top scorer was Jason Doyle (14) and fellow Australian, Jaimon Lidsey (8+1) also did himself proud.

However, the match belonged to the home team who were always in the driving seat and ran out winners 49:41.

A 5:1 in Heat 3 for the home team from Victor Kulakov (12) and Jakub Jamrog (6+2) gave Gdańsk a narrow lead which they held onto for the majority of the match when Ostrow came to visit on Monday night.

When Kulakov again was first to the checkered flag in Heat 13, he had teammate Rasmus Jensen (8+1, pictured) behind him for another 5:1 and it looked like the home team were odds on for the win with a 43:35 lead before the nomination heats.

But Ostrovia showed true fighting spirit in the last two heats of the meet.

First in Heat 14, Dane, Patrick Hansen (12) won the heat for the visitors, ably backed up in second place by reserve rider, Sebastian Szostak who had the match of his life with 8+2. That left the scores at 44:41 and few would have expected anything other than a home win with Gdansk’s top riders Kulakov and Krystian Pieszczek (10+2) on the night coming to tapes.
Kulakov had not lost a single point at that stage.

But clearly Ostrovia’s experienced Poles, Tomas Gapinski (10+2) and Grzegorz Walasek (10+1) had other plans and brought home an unexpected 1:5 meaning the team’s were forced to share the points with 45:45 after 15 heats.

Ostrow’s Scandinavian duo of Oliver Berntzon (5+1) and Nicolai Klindt (2+1) seemed off the pace tonight but can thank their Polish teammates for a point tonight. Perhaps they both have one eye on the start of the Elitserien tomorrow where they will both represent Gislaved Lejonen?

#RAWLAN

Rawicz were the hosts as this weekend’s first eWINNER 2 match got underway. They were up against a full strength Landshut that had the injured Kai Huckenbeck (pictured) back as well as new signing, Frenchman, Dimitri Berge and German veteran, Martin Smolinski (6) all in their line up.

The German team seem to have the advantage taking the lead in the first heat and again in Heat 5 as Dimitri (10) and Martin Härtel (6+1) took a 2:4.

They held that lead all the way to Heat 11 when Rawicz took their first 5:1 through Szymon Szlauderbach (7+1) and Keynan Rew. It was the Australian’s best performance so far this season as he put up 8+1 but compatriot Matthew Gilmore struggled again with 0.

The home team started Heat 12 in the lead by just 3 points, 34:31, leading to a nail biting finish as the following two heats were 3:3s.

Down but not out, Landshut continued to fight to pull back the deficit and pave the way an unexpected victory. However, their hopes were dashed as the Polish team struck the deadly blow in Heat 14 with a 5:1 to make it 45:38, Szlauderbach again involved as he took the checkered flag in second place.

Huckenbeck (13+1) top scored for the visitors hopefully meaning is has recovered from his concussion. But even his appearance in Heat 15 was not enough to prevent Rawicz taking home a hard fought 48:41 win.

#OPODAU

When Daugavpils' Swedish rider, Tomas H Jonasson (14) beat host, Opole's Swedish rider, Jacob Thorssell (10+1) it put the guests back to within five points of the leaders, 26:21.

But the Latvian team would never get closer than that and the match was finished off when the Polish squad won two 5:1s in Heats 13 and 14. In the first of those Thorssell got revenge by beating Jonasson as well as Danish veteran, Hans Andersen (5+1) who also represents Lokamotiv this season. Then in the penultimate heat young Danish rider, Mads Hansen (10) won to set up a final score of 51:38 to Opole.

Although the league is still in early days and Wittestock are yet to race at all in the second division, Opole now take the lead on points difference over Rawicz after three rounds. Swede, Thorssell is also the joint highest scorer in the league with a 2.400 average.

#POZRZE

Poznan's match was not televised again as it clashed with the Ekstraliga match between Zielona Gora and Wroclaw. But that did not seem to have any negative on the home team as they hosted Rzeszow tonight.

They bounced back from 1:5 reserve heat defeat to take five 5:1 heat advantages before the nomination heats were called. Danish rider, Jonas Siefelt-Salk (10+4) was involved in three of them and finished just one point off a paid maximum. As did his German teammate, Kevin Wolbert (14). and Matias Nielsen (7+2) make an impact as they ran away with the match, 56:34.

For the losers Dane, Tim Sörensen (3) and Britian's Adam Ellis (6) failed to make a significant impact but the team can will take solace in that reserve Matteusz Majcher top scored with a 9 pts maximum and with just two matches played that it is still early days in the season.

#TARKRO

When the bottom team hosted the top team in eWinner 1 on Saturday, the majority of people were expecting history to be made as Krosno would take their first ever win at Tarnow. Not only that, but the two teams form so far this season also implied that Krosno would win with ease.

But, thanks to great performances from Tarnow’s top two riders, Niels Kristian Iversen (12+1) and Rohan Tungate (11), fans were treated to a tight match which was only decided in the last heat. Heat 15 would see this Danish/ Australian duo go head-to-head with Krosno’s top two scorers, Tobiasz Musielak (13) and Andzej Lebedevs (9+1).

The hosts, Tarnow, held a slim lead from the reserve heat up to Heat 9, when Krosno’s Musielak led home Mateusz Szczepaniak (8+2) for a 1:5 victory.

And from then onwards it was Krosno that held a narrow lead. However a 5:1 for Tarnow set up a last heat decider with the scores at 41:43 after Heat 14.

It was fitting that the teams’ top scorers got to go against each other in a winner-takes-all final. And with Musielak (photo) taking his fourth heat win of the day, the final heat finished 3:3 meaning that the visitors made history as Krosno ran out winners by the closest possible margin, 44:46.

#GNIRYB

In a match which was primarily about gating, it was home team Start Gniezno who took control against an in form, ROW Rybnik.

The guests may have taken the lead in the first heat through a 1:5 from Sergei Logachov (15+1) and Kacper Gomolski (12+2), but after that Gniezno slowly but surely took the lead back and extended it with heat advantage after heat advantage.

Leading the way for the home was Polish duo, Oskar Fajfer (13) and Miroslaw Jablonski (9+1). They were ably supported by their Scandinavian teammates, Frederik Jakobsen (8+1), Timo Lahti (8) and Peter Kildemand (5+2).

For Rybnik it was a “tale of two cities” as the Russian/ Polish duo who won Heat 1 put in top notch performances, whilst the rest of the team were “still on the bus”. No-one else scored more than 4 pts, even experienced Dane, Michael Jepsen Jensen.

That mean that Gniezno were winners, 49:41.

Although still early in the season, this match also completed the home and away games between the two teams. That mean that ROW Rybnik take the bonus point by just two points, 91:89 after winning the first leg, 50:40 last week.

#BYDLOD

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon in Bydgoszcz and after 5 heats it looked like the fans were going to be treated to a total demolition of visitors, Łódź. The home team took home four heat advantages, including three 5:1s in the opening heats to lead by 21:9.

However, the next seven heats took on a totally different character as the visitors started to find lines and crawl back into the match. There were six 5:1s in a row (!) and by the of Heat 11, Łódź were only just six points behind at 36:30.

Brady Kurtz and Norbert Kosciuch lifted the Eagles into reach of their opponents and both scored 13+1 by the end of the match. American, Luke Becker (6+2) was the third best scorer for the team.

However, despite the valiant comeback, they had let their rivals get too far ahead. Bydgoszcz only needed to make sure they level pegged with the visitors and by the end of the match ran out winners, 48:42.

Top scorers for the hosts were the foreign duo of David Bellego (12+2) and Andreas Lyager (11).

On 12 June, the same day as the SEC gets underway in Bydgoszcz, the two qualifying rounds for this year’s U21 World Championship will take place in Gustrow and Daugavpils.

That means that countries are starting to announce their riders, including Sweden and Great Britain.

SWEDEN

Alexander Woentin (pictured) and Philip Hellström Bängs will represent Sweden and have both had the chance to compete in Poland before the Swedish season starts on 1 June. This will be Woentin’s last chance in this competition and with a bronze in last year’s European U21 championship he should be on the bookies shortlist for a medal in 2021.

GREAT BRITAIN

Great Britain have gone for Tom Brennan and Drew Kemp giving extended reason for their thinking on their website. They also mention that Anders Rowe was also in contention but declined to take part in the qualifiers on this occasion.

Speculation is rife as to who the other countries may pick.

DENMARK

Denmark may choose the current European U21 Gold medallist, Marcus Birkemose. However the young rider is struggling with Gorzow in the Ekstraliga and even home in Denmark does not look like half the rider of 2020.

An alternative could be Mads Hansen who represented the country in the U21 World and European competitions in 2020. He could be is a likely pick for 2021 with a good season so far in Poland with Opole.

POLAND

Poland, as usual, are spoilt for choice, but it would seem scandalous not to pick last year’s European U21 Silver medallist, Jakub Miskowiak.

The Częstochowa rider is having a blinding season with an incredible heat average of 2.132. He is not just the best scorer in his side, but is currently one of the best riders in the league sitting in 9th place in the individual rankings. That puts him above all of the last three SEC winners (12th, 13th and 15th positions) as well as ahead of Australian former World Champions, Jason Doyle (11th) and Chris Holder (24th).

Miskowiak got to race last year in the final in Pardubice as a last minute replacement for Wiktor Lampart who was injured in the final match of the season for Motor Lublin.

And as the second best junior in Ekstraliga, Lampart (1.875, 19th overall), himself should be in contention for the qualifiers, a race he won last year in Divisov, Hungary. The Polish rider won the U21 European championship in 2019, the year before Birkemose.

#CZEGRU

Three 5:1s in the first four heats paved the way for a home victory for the Lions when Grudziadz came to visit in the early game on Friday night.

All in all Częstochowa would score five 5:1s during the match whilst Grudziadz could only manage two heat advantages. Surprisingly, they would both involve Norbert Krakowiak (8+1) who had an excellent match at #8 even though it was Nicki Pedersen (12+1) who top scored again for the visitors.

The visitors’ riders - apart from Pedersen - again struggled to gain points with no one apart from Krakowiak gaining more than 6.

By contrast, four of Częstochowa’s riders scored more than 8 pts and for the first time this season we finally saw Bartosz Smektala put in the kind of performance we know he is capable of. He beat Kenneth Bjerre (6+2) and Pawel Miesiac (6) and Pedersen on his way to 11+3.

There were three plenty of Scandinavians in action for Częstochowa tonight. Leon Madsen (12) was back to his best, whilst Fredrik Lindgren (8) still seems to be struggling to find the form that placed him in fourth in the SGP last year. Meanwhile, Jonas Jeppesen (5+2) continued to show he is good value for money at the #2 spot.

#GORTOR

Gorzow and Bartosz Zmarzlik’s near perfect season continued when Toruń came to visit tonight.

The double world champion (pictured) dropped just two points to finish with 13 pts and was well supported by the team as Szymon Wozniak, Anders Thomsen and Martin Vaculik all scored 10 pts.

With that said, it was no pushover as Toruń’s riders also put in solid performances with brothers, Jack Holder (12) and Chris (9+1) leading the team and Pawel Przedpelski (9) making a vital contribution. However, Robert Lambert will no doubt be disappointed with his 6+2.

So, it was not a dramatic, superhuman performance that won the match, but rather a slow attrition with Wozniak involved in all three of Gorzow’s 5:1s enabling the team to run out winners by 50:40.