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.
