Last Saturday, Andzejs Lebedevs won the gold medal at the 2024 TAURON Speedway Euro Championship. The Latvian rider claimed the Individual European Championship title for the second time in his career.
After the event, the newly crowned champion admitted that winning the title at the Sląski Stadium was his main reason for joy, but not the only one.
- After seven years, I’m back on top. This shows that I’m still at a high level. I’m really happy with this medal because it secured me a permanent spot in next year’s FIM Speedway Grand Prix series. Although I’m not showing it at the moment, inside I feel immense joy and relief that I’ve managed to become the Individual European Champion for the second time in my career.
The TAURON SEC round took place at the Śląski Stadium for the third time in history. From a rider’s perspective, how did the competition and atmosphere feel at the second-largest stadium in Poland?
- I was so focused on achieving my goal that I didn’t get to feel the atmosphere around me. I felt very comfortable at the Śląski Stadium. It’s fantastic that speedway events are held at such a venue – it helps elevate our sport to an even higher level.
This year, the Latvian rider finished the series with a total of 50 points. Interestingly, a significant portion of those points was earned during the first round in Debrecen. What does the two-time Individual European Champion think of his performances?
- Summing up, I regret the round in Grudziądz. Even though I really like that track, due to coming back from injury, I didn’t perform well this time. Aside from that, I had phenomenal meetings in Debrecen and Güstrow.
Finally, we asked Andzejs what lies ahead for him next year. It’s no secret that the Latvian will do everything he can to defend his title.
- Speaking of the future, my main focus is to finish this season safely. During the winter, I plan to prepare as best as I can so that in 2025, I’ll be ready to defend my championship title.
