LAGUTA WINS ON COMEBACK IN BYDGOSZCZ

Artem Laguta made a victorious return to the sport after topping the podium at the Criterion of Aces in Bydgoszcz on Sunday.

The 2021 Speedway GP world champion missed the entire 2022 season after the FIM suspended Russian riders’ licences until further notice due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

But Laguta also holds Polish citizenship and, after securing a Polish licence over the winter, he topped the podium on 13 points at the Polonia Stadium, with Polish international Dominik Kubera winning a four-man run-off for second place, with Szymon Wozniak third.

They tied on 11 points with Kacper Woryna in fourth place and fifth-placed triple world champion Nicki Pedersen, who is also making a racing comeback after overcoming the badly broken hip and pelvis he suffered last June.

Reigning world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik claimed 10 points in the event, with Speedway GP rival Patryk Dudek scoring seven along with French international David Bellego, Andreas Lyager and former world No.2 Jaroslaw Hampel.

Hampel also tasted victory this weekend after winning Polish legend Piotr Protasiewicz’s farewell meeting in Zielona Gora on Saturday.

He triumphed on 14 points, with former world No.3 Emil Sayfutdinov second as he joins Laguta in making a return on a Polish licence. Zmarzlik was third, also on 11 points.

Kubera tallied 10 along with Czech racer Jan Kvech, while Dudek notched nine on his boyhood track, Maciej Janowski scored seven and Max Fricke collected five points.

Elsewhere in Poland on Sunday, former World Under-21 champion Bartosz Smektala triumphed in the Alfred Smoczyk Memorial meeting as he makes his Leszno return for 2023.

He defeated former Bulls favourite Przemyslaw Pawlicki in a run-off after they tied on 13 points. Former World Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey took third place on 12.