MICHELSEN: KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT OUT

Danish racer Mikkel Michelsen insists he is working to get himself in the best shape possible for Vojens as he battles with an ankle injury.

Michelsen crashed during the track test for Lublin’s PGE Ekstraliga semi-final, first leg in Torun last Friday when his bike picked up unexpected drive and he landed heavily on his ankle as man and machine hit the deck.

The European champion struggled on throughout the rest of the weekend but has been grateful for a few days off since the crash.

With Michelsen ninth in the Speedway GP standings on 61 points – nine points short of the top-six automatic qualification places for 2023, there’s no question of him slowing down.

He’s determined to get himself as fit as possible for his home event – the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens, sponsored by ECCO this Saturday.

He said: “Luckily, since Sunday, I have had a few days off and I haven’t got any racing now until Saturday’s Speedway GP in Vojens. I need a lot of rest and recovery right now and I will try to get as fit as possible for Vojens.

“I don’t really have the time on my side, but you have to play the cards you have in your hand.

“I am looking forward to Vojens. It’s going to be a challenge and a battle, but I am always up for a challenge. It will be nice to hopefully race in front of a full stadium there.”

Michelsen is gutted to have been beset by another injury after fighting off a knee problem, sustained when he crashed with Anders Thomsen in a Danish league match at Vojens in June.

His latest knock didn’t even occur during a race in Torun. He explained: “We have track tests before the league meetings.

“I made my practice start and went into turns three and four. Coming out of turn four, I must have hit something because the bike just picked up and I flipped the bike coming out of the corner.

“I didn’t get off because I thought I had saved it, but the next thing I knew, I was on my ass and the bike landed very hard on my left ankle. The whole engine landed down on my foot. It tore my outer boot and my carbon fibre inner boot to pieces. I think I should be grateful I wear Daytona boots. If I was wearing something else, I am not sure I would be racing anymore this season.”

Michelsen may have been knocked down, but he knows he’s not out of the race for the Speedway GP top six.

After scoring six points at the Speedway European Championship round in Lodz last Saturday, he is now 10 points off the lead going into the final round in Pardubice on September 23, meaning his final three Speedway GP rounds are even more vital with qualification as European champion now looking less likely.

He said: “I still have some ground to make up when we consider the Speedway GP top six because that’s looking like it could be my only option to qualify for next year after my result in Lodz.

“The last two rounds have been great. I made the semis in both Cardiff and Wroclaw. You always want more, and we need to push for the last three rounds now. As a bare minimum, I need to make the semis, but we need to sneak our way into the finals as well.”