Lebedev on Riga Grand Prix: at home, reaching the final was the minimum

Latvian speedway rider Andžejs Ļebedevs finished sixth at Saturday's Grand Prix meeting at the Biķernieki track, placing second in his semifinal and narrowly missing the final. Speaking afterwards, he said reaching the final at home should have been the bare minimum, though the overall result was uneven.

Ļebedevs said he had wanted to give the home crowd something to celebrate, but the event went up and down. He suggested the final outcome may end up looking better in hindsight than what his bike and the track conditions actually allowed.

Crash and starting problems

In his fourth heat of the day, Ļebedevs scored no points after colliding with Danish rider Mikkel Jepsen-Jensen and was excluded from the rerun. He said the fall could have been more serious, but he only bruised his shoulder and elbow, and it did not affect his overall result. He identified a weak start throughout the day as the main issue, saying he could not get away as quickly as needed.

Criticism of track conditions

At the press conference, Ļebedevs noted that the Biķernieki track was not in as good shape on Saturday as it had been on Friday, when the World Championship semifinal took place. He suggested track preparation staff should review the shortcomings to maintain quality over two consecutive days. He described Saturday's surface as uneven and bumpy, which disrupted riders throughout the meeting.

A season of ups and downs

In the European Championship, where the first of four rounds has been completed, two-time champion Ļebedevs has a modest tally of six points so far. He expressed hope of fighting for medals in the coming rounds, recalling that even in 2024, when he won the title, one round did not go well. His best result this season came in Sweden, where he reached the semifinal and finished fifth. Last year he took third place in Riga. This year's Grand Prix series includes ten rounds, with the final one set for late September in Poland.