Bartosz Zmarzlik emerged victorious at the German Speedway Grand Prix in Teterow, the fourth round of the World Championship in speedway. Patryk Dudek and Maciej Janowski concluded the competition in the heat phase.
Polish speedway riders arrived in Teterow with high hopes. In the previous season, Patryk Dudek claimed the top spot in the German GP, while Maciej Janowski emerged victorious in 2019. The current world champion, Bartosz Zmarzlik, stood on the podium a remarkable four times at the Bergring Arena.
The last of them to take to the track on Saturday was Zmarzlik, who immediately faced off against the second-place rider in the overall standings, Fredrik Lindgren from Sweden. The Pole had a slow start but managed to overtake the Swede and secure second place. It was undoubtedly the most thrilling race of the first series. Shortly after, it was Dudek and Janowski’s turn. Janowski won the start and went on to claim a confident victory, with Dudek finishing last among the two Polish riders.
The first six races were won by riders starting from the first position. In the seventh race, wearing the red helmet, Kim Nilsson took the lead initially from the first starting position, but he was overtaken on the first straight by the fast-paced Dane, Anders Thomsen. Janowski also participated in the same race but couldn’t make his way past the third position after the riders settled in their order.
However, Dudek showcased a brilliant performance shortly after, winning the race despite starting from the fourth position. At this point in the competition, only Zmarzlik was yet to secure a victory, as he finished second once again in the second race.
After two series, no rider had achieved two victories. The leaders at that point were Thomsen and Slovak Martin Vaculik, who won the GP in Prague the previous week. Two zeroes for Tai Woffinden from Britain, who triumphed in Teterow in 2018, came as a big surprise.
Zmarzlik broke through in the third series, where he won against Thomsen, among others. Vaculik also participated in the same race but was excluded after a fall. At that moment, the Pole had seven points and shared the lead with the British rider Robert Lambert. However, the situation became complicated for Dudek and Janowski, who both had four points.
In the fourth series, Dudek started from the first position, but at that stage of the competition, it was no longer a disadvantage. Nonetheless, the Polish rider performed well, earning two points and remaining in the race for the semifinals. After four starts, Zmarzlik secured a place in the top eight, adding three more points, while Janowski practically dropped out of the fight for the top eight. The rider from Wrocław had another slow start, and overtaking someone on the Teterow track was incredibly challenging.
In the last race, Janowski earned a point and finished the competition in 13th place. Dudek also failed to advance to the semifinals, as he only scored one point in the fifth series, ultimately placing 11th in the German GP. At this stage, Lindgren and Vaculik were also eliminated.
Zmarzlik won the heat phase of the tournament with 13 points. In the semifinals, the Polish rider faced off against Thomsen, Jason Doyle, and Lambert. The world champion left no doubts about his superiority and secured a confident victory, with Doyle finishing second. From the second semifinal, Jack Holder and Nilsson advanced, with the latter reaching his first-ever GP final.
In the final race, Zmarzlik demonstrated his dominance and led from the start. Behind him, a battle for a podium position ensued. Doyle crossed the finish line in second place, followed by Holder in third.
The Polish rider solidified his position at the top of the overall GP standings. He holds a 12-point advantage over Holder, who moved up to second place. Dudek and Janowski currently occupy the 13th and 14th positions, respectively.
The next competition will take place on June 24th in Gorzów Wielkopolski.