Speedway GP of Germany as it happened - Mikkel Michelsen emerges as shock winner, Tai Woffinden fails to make semis

ByEurosport

Updated 18/05/2024 at 20:02 GMT

Welcome to Eurosport's live text coverage of the third round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix coming from Landshut’s OneSolar Arena in Germany. The venue is back on the calendar for the first time since 1997 and championship leader Jason Doyle will look to extend his lead following back-to-back podium finishes in the opening two rounds.

'Real sign of a four-time champion' - Zmarzlik fastest in qualifying for SGP Germany in Landshut

ZMARZLIK LEADS CHAMPIONSHIP

After finishing second tonight reigning world champion Bartos Zmarzlik now leads the series overall.

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The standings after three rounds are:

1 Bartos Zmarzlik 50 points
2 Jack Holder 48 points
3 Jason Doyle 47 points
4 Robert Lambert 41 points
5 Mikkel Michelsen 36 points
6 Dan Bewley 28 points
7 Martin Vaculik 27 points
8 Fredrik Lindgreen 26 points
9 Dominik Kubera 25 points
10 Leon Madsen 25 points
11 Kai Huckenbeck 25 points
12 Szymon Wozniak 24 points
13 Tai Woffinden 16 points
14 Andzejs Lebedevs 13 points
15 Jan Kvech 10 points
16 Mateusz Cierniak 3 points

FINAL - Zmarzlik, Michelsen, Kubera, Holder

Michelsen starts the quickest and grabs the inside line as Zmarzlik is slower away from the line.

Holder is just behind the leader putting him under pressure and pulling alongside Michelsen who closes the door. Zmarzlik also has a look at the leader but can't make it stick.

Michelsen wins with Zmarzlik in second just beating Holder

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WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2024 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX?

Eurosport and discovery+ will show live coverage of every round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix action.

Every meeting, including qualifying, will be broadcast in full and will be accessible live-on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport's digital platforms.

Eurosport.com will provide live coverage, reaction and video highlights of every single meeting.

FINAL GATES

Zmarzlik chooses the outside gate with Holder taking his time to think about it and going on the inside. Kubera goes gate two and Michelsen in gate three.

SEMI-FINAL 2 - Bewley, Kubera, Lambert, Holder

Holder and Bewley both start well before the latter makes a mistake leaving his Australian rival in the lead.

Kubera takes second resulting in Brits Lambert in third and Bewley fourth, both missing out on a final spot.

SEMI-FINAL 1 - Zmarzlik, Michelsen, Doyle, Madsen

Zmaezlik takes the inside and leads away from the line. Michelsen and Madsen are fighting for second place.

Doyle has suffered a mechanical problem so is out. Zmarzlik wins ahead of Michelsen who both book their places into the final.

World championship leader Doyle is left walking back to the pits with a bike problem.

RAIN COMING DOWN

Track conditions are changing ahead of the first semi-final as rain comes down in Germany.

FINAL STANDINGS FROM HEATS

Through to semi-finals

Zmarzlik 12 points
Bewley 11 points
Kubera 11 points
Michelsen 10 points
Lambert 10 points
Doyle 9 points
Madsen 9 points
Holder 9 points

Not qualified to semi-final

Wozniak 8 points
Woffinden 8 points
Vaculik 8 points
Huckenbeck 5 points
Lebedevs 5 points
Lindgren 4 points
Blodorn 1 point
Kvech 0 points

HEAT 20 - Kubera, Vaculik, Michelsen, Doyle

A frantic opening lap sees Kubera lead ahead of Michelsen and Vaculik. Doyle almost crashed but somehow held his bike up and is out of contention on the opening lap.

Kubera wins the final heat to make the semi-finals, Michelsen in second and Vaculik third.

HEAT 19 - Blodorn, Madsen, Zmarzlik, Lindgren

Zmarzlik is in gate three so has work to do. However, the world champion takes an opening lap lead. Lindgren is closely behind despite being out of semi-final contention.

Zmarkzlik will get his pick of gates in the semi-final with a win ahead of Lindgreen in second and Madsen third.

HEAT 18 - Holder, Lambert, Riss (replacing Kvech), Huckenbeck

Lambert passes Holder into the first corner and holds the inside line. Holder comes fighting back with Huckenbeck also providing a challenge.

Holder makes a clinical move on the third lap to pass Lambert into the lead. Holder wins ahead of Lambert in second and Huckenbeck third.

HEAT 17 - Wozniak, Bewley, Woffinden, Lebedevs

Wozniak leads on the inside, but Bewley has the speed from the opening bend. Woffinden needs a second place and is putting Wozniak under pressure.

Bewley pulls out a clear lead with Wozniak in second and Woffinden third.

WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2024 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX?

Eurosport and discovery+ will show live coverage of every round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix action.

Every meeting, including qualifying, will be broadcast in full and will be accessible live-on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport's digital platforms.

Eurosport.com will provide live coverage, reaction and video highlights of every single meeting.

STANDINGS AFTER FOUR RIDES EACH

Zmarzlik 9 points
Doyle 9 points
Michelsen 8 points
Bewley 8 points
Kubera 8 points
Madsen 8 points
Woffinden 7 points
Vaculik 7 points
Wozniak 6 points
Holder 6 points
Lebedevs 4 points
Huckenbeck 4 points
Lindgren 2 points
Blodorn 1 point

HEAT 16 - Holder, Lindgreen, Doyle, Woffinden

Woffinden gets the run from outside and leads early on. Australians Doyle and Holder are putting pressure on the early leader.

Holder is putting severe pressure on the British leader who holds on for a vital win as Holder finishes second and Doyle third

HEAT 15 - Huckenbeck, Blodorn, Lebedevs, Kubera

Kubera from gate number four cuts across his rivals to lead on the first lap. Huckenbeck and Lebedevs are locked in a battle for second going side-by-side.

Kubera wraps up the heat to boost his semi-final hopes, Huckenbeck takes second and Lebedevs third.

HEAT 14 - Lambert, Zmarzlik, Bewley, Michelsen

Lambert gets the quickest start and Zmarzlik is under pressure for second. Michelsen passes the world champion with Bewley also challenging for a top three.

Lambert takes his first win of the night, an important one for him, Michelsen in second and Zmarzlik has to settle for third.

HEAT 13 - Smolinski, Madsen, Vaculik, Wozniak

On his spare bike Madsen takes the early lead. However, Wozniak also has a good start and overtakes his rival. Madsen has tape attached to his helmet which is streaming behind him. However, the Danish rider wins ahead of Wozniak in second and Vaculik third.

https://x.com/eurosport/status/1791900261474066524

KVECH IS OUT

Kvech is out of tonight's meeting after feeling unwell following a crash during the opening heats. He is replaced by German rider Smolinski.

STANDINGS SO FAR

Zmarzlik 8 points
Doyle 8 points
Bewley 8 points
Michelsen 6 points
Vaculik 6 points
Kubera 5 points
Madsen 5 points
Lambert 5 points
Wozniak 4 points
Woffinden 4 points
Holder 4 points
Lebedevs 4 points
Huckenbeck 2 points
Lindgren 2 points
Blodorn 1 point
Kvech 0 pointd

HEAT 12 - Zmarzlik, Doyle, Lebedevs, Kvech

Zmarzlik has the inside gate and leads away. Doyle gets stuck in the pack but muscles his way through and then puts pressure on the world champion.

Zmarzlik has to ride defensively to fend off the challenge as Doyle finishes second and Lebedevs in third.

HEAT 11 - Bewley, Holder, Blodorn, Vaculik

Bewley has a good start as Vaculik passes Holder into second. Vaculik maintains his pressure on the British rider who is pulling away from his competitors.

Bewley takes his second win of the night ahead of Vaculik in second and Holder third.

HEAT 10 - Madsen, Kubera, Woffinden, Lambert

Woffinden had a poor qualifying and starts in gate three for a second time and is next to fellow Brit Lambert. Madsen goes high opening the door for Lambert.

Kubera also comes through the inside almost taking out Lambert as Madsen takes a clear lead. However, Danish rider suffers a mechanical out of the final corner allowing Kubera to win and Lambert in second.

Madsen limps over the finish line and beats Woffiden by the slimest of margins for third.

HEAT 9 - Lindgreen, Huckenbeck, Wozniak, Michelsen

Michelsen starts outside and powers away from his rivals looking for a second win of the night. Huckenbeck is among the points in second and Lindgren will be unhappy with third.

Lindgren faces mising the semi-finals unless her can win his final rides.

WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2024 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX?

Eurosport and discovery+ will show live coverage of every round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix action.

Every meeting, including qualifying, will be broadcast in full and will be accessible live-on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport's digital platforms.

Eurosport.com will provide live coverage, reaction and video highlights of every single meeting.

STANDINGS AFTER TWO RIDES

Doyle 6 points
Zmarzlik 5 points
Bewley 5 points
Vaculik 4 points
Madsen 4 points
Wozniak 4 points
Woffinden 4 points
Michelsen 3 points
Holder 3 points
Lebedevs 3 points
Kubera 2 points
Lindgreen 2 points
Blodorn 1 point
Huckenbeck 0 points
Kvech 0 points

HEAT 8 - Doyle, Bewley, Madsen, Huckenbeck

Doyle takes the lead early on as Madsen battles behind with Bewley. Doyle makes a few mistakes in front but just about holds off his competitors.

The Australian has to work hard for his win ahead of Bewley in second and Mas

HEAT 7 - Michelsen, Woffinden, Kvech, Blodorn

A big heat with only Woffinden having taking points from their opening race. Blodorn takes the inside only for Michelsen and Woffinden to come blasting through on the second straight.

Michelsen has a clear lead taking the outside bend despite a late mechanical with his bike. Woffinden finishes second and Blodorn in third.

HEAT 6 - Vaculik, Lebedevs, Lambert, Lindgreen

The door opens on the inside for Vaculik during an almighty battle for positions. Lebedevs and Lambert are side-by-side for the remaining positions.

Vaculik takes the win ahead of Lebedevs in second and Lambert third.

HEAT 5 - Zmarzlik, Wozniak, Kubera, Holder

Zmarzlik takes the lead early on, but Wozniak battles his way through the middle passing Holder and then taking the lead. Wozniak is in control ahead of his Polish competitor and despite Zmarzlik closing to the line he holds on. Holder has to settle for third from the outside gate.

https://x.com/eurosport/status/1791886177072488937

WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2024 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX?

Eurosport and discovery+ will show live coverage of every round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix action.

Every meeting, including qualifying, will be broadcast in full and will be accessible live-on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport's digital platforms.

Eurosport.com will provide live coverage, reaction and video highlights of every single meeting.

GATE FOUR IS PERFECT

All the wins in the opening four heats have come from gate number four. However, it would be the gate for the quickest qualifiers to select.

STANDINGS AFTER ONE RIDE EACH

Heat four marks the end of the first round of races. Here is the early leaders.

Zmarzlik 3 points
Madsen 3 points
Bewley 3 points
Doyle 3 points
Holder 2 points
Lambert 2 points
Woffinden 2 points
Kubera 2 points

HEAT 4 - Woffinden, Vaculik, Huckenbeck, Zmarzlik

Three up on the first turn before Zmarzlik makes a perfect move into the first corner to speed into the lead. There is little Woffinden can do as Vaculik puts him under pressure.

Zmarzlik controls the heat with Woffinden hanging on for seond from Vaculik.

HEAT 3 - Lebedevs, Michelsen, Holder, Madsen

Lebedevs is quickest starter, but Madsen has the pace and finds a space to move from third to first on the second straight. Madsen has a clear lead, but behind is an almighty fight for second with Holder coming through for second and Lebedevs third.

HEAT 2 - Kubera, Kvech, Lindgreen, Bewley

Crash away from the start as Kubera has the inside line. Starting from the middle Kvech crashes out after clipping the back of Kubera's machine resulting in the head being re-started. Kvech is able to walk away from the crash.

Kubera starts the re-start quickest before Bewley on the outside line uses his speed to take the lead away from the Polish rider. British rider Bewley pulls out a huge margin to win comfortably ahead of Kubera and Lindgren.

HEAT 1 - Wozniak, Lambert, Doyle, Blodorn

Doyle takes the lead away from the line as Lambert collides with his opponent allowing a gap to open. Lambert has the speed an comes fighting back at Doyle who holds his position.

Doyle holds on to the lead beating Lambert into second and Wozniak in third.

RETURN TO LANDSHUT

For the first time since 1997, returns to the OneSolar Arena in Landshut. Last year’s round in Germany was held in Teterow when Bartos Zmarzlik took victory ahead of championship rivals Jason Doyle and Jack Holder.

The trio are bound to battle it out again for the win and series points again this afternoon.

STANDINGS AFTER TWO ROUNDS

Last time out in Warsaw it was Australian Jason Doyle who took victory and he goes into round three a six-point lead in the overall standings.

Jason Doyle 38 points
Jack Holder 32 points
Bartos Zmarzlik 32 points
Robert Lambert 29 points
Fredrik Lindgreen 23 points
Martin Vaculik 21 points
Kai Huckenbeck 20 points
Dan Bewley 18 points
Szymon Wozniak 16 points
Mikkel Michelsen 16 points
Leon Madsen 14 points
Dominik Kubera 11 points
Tai Woffinden 9 points
Andzejs Lebedevs 9 points
Jan Kvech 9 points
Mateusz Cierniak 3 points

RACE FORMAT

Every FIM Speedway Grand Prix round features 16 riders, racing each other over 20 heats.

The winning rider in each heat scores three race points, with two for second place, one for third and zero points for last place, being disqualified or failing to finish.

The eight riders with the most race points progress to the semi-finals.

The riders placed first and second in each semi make it through to the final.

WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2024 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX?

Eurosport and discovery+ will show live coverage of every round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix action.

Every meeting, including qualifying, will be broadcast in full and will be accessible live-on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport's digital platforms.

Eurosport.com will provide live coverage, reaction and video highlights of every single meeting.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO 2024 FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX ACTION

Good evening and welcome to LIVE coverage of the third round of this year’s FIM Speedway Grand Prix from the OneSolar Arena in Landshut, Germany

Landshut returns to calendar as title race hots up

The third round of Speedway Grand Prix action of the 2024 season comes from Germany with Landshut’s OneSolar Arena hosting a meeting for the first time since 1997.

The returning venue will expect to see some thrilling action as Australian Jason Doyle looks to build on his championship lead following victory in Warsaw last time out.

This came off the back of his second place finish in Donji Kraljevec, Croatia in round one, a meeting won by his compatriot Jack Holder.

Holder sits in second in the overall standings level on points with reigning world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik who is looking to make it three titles in a row this year after wins in 2022 and 2023.

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Watch and stream the 2024 Speedway Grand Prix season on Eurosport and discovery+.

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