Latvia's Ļebedevs struggles in second round of European Speedway Championship

Latvian speedway rider Andžejs Ļebedevs had a difficult outing on Saturday in Güstrow, Germany, finishing 15th in the second final round of the European Speedway Championship. Across five heats he placed third three times and fourth twice, collecting three points, which left him second from last in the round's classification.

The round's final had to be restarted after Poland's Kacper Woryna crashed, with three riders taking part in the re-run. Poland's Maciej Janowski took the win, followed by the Czech Republic's Jan Kvěch in second and Denmark's Mikkel Michelsen (Jepsen-Jensen) in third.

Overall standings

After two of the season's four rounds, the overall lead is shared by two Danish riders, Mikkel Michelsen and Leon Madsen, each with 24 points. Poland's Patryk Dudek follows with 22 points, while three more riders trail with 20 points apiece. Ļebedevs currently holds 14th place with nine points.

In July's opening round in Zielona Góra, Ļebedevs placed 12th. The season continues with a third round on September 19 in Rzeszów, Poland, before concluding with the fourth round on October 2 in Pardubice, Czech Republic.

Ļebedevs is a two-time European champion, having become the first Latvian speedway rider to win the European championship in 2017 and repeating the feat in 2024. Last season he finished as runner-up, with the title going to Poland's Patryk Dudek.