Bartłomiej Kowalski: we’re going to fight for the PGE Ekstraliga semi-finals (interview)

BETARD SPARTA Wroclaw started their competition in the PGE Ekstraliga playoffs with a victory over ZOOLESZCZ GKM GRUDZIĄDZ 50:40. The quarter-final match was not easy for the hosts, despite the decisive win. In an interview for ekstraliga.pl, Bartłomiej Kowalski talked about the course of the match and plans for the rematch.

Magdalena Świergała (ekstraliga.pl): The match against ZOOLESZCZ Grudziądz was not a walk in the park for you. In the regular season, you won by a wide margin – 53:37. Does this 10-point lead give you comfort?

Bartłomiej Kowalski (BETARD SPARTA Wroclaw): We take what’s there after the match and we certainly don’t give up. We’re going to Grudziądz to fight for the semi-finals. The lead is not small, but it’s also not high enough to be relaxed. We need to play a consistent match to maintain it.

You are the only team that does not have the advantage of a home rematch due to the SGP round in Wroclaw. Does that affect your preparations?

We didn’t focus on the order of the matches. We knew we were starting the fight for medals and we had to make the biggest lead possible. We managed to get a 10-point lead.

Good, solid performance by the juniors. Together they brought in 13 points and a bonus. Is that a strong support given Maciej Janowski’s weaker performance?

The juniors had a very good competition. Their points really decided the win. In this decisive phase of the season, the whole team gathers and fights for every point on the track. Maciej had minor setbacks, but as he has shown us so far, his form is at a high level, which we saw in recent performances.

In the 12th race, you doubled with Jakub Krawczyk and pulled away from the opponents by 10 points. Did this victory boost your confidence for the decisive phase of the match?

We see how unpredictable speedway is. Sometimes we manage to win a race, and then someone loses despite being a favorite. It definitely gave us a boost. We wanted to repeat it in the nominated race, but it didn’t work out.

In the last match, you scored a full set of points, and now Artem Laguta achieved that. This is another good performance from you with a double-digit score.

We would all like to score full sets of points. In the last match, there was nothing to fault. Now, too, I managed to bring in points, but I struggled a lot on the track. I need to eliminate minor mistakes in the upcoming matches.

The next round of the Individual World Championships will take place at the Olympic Stadium. Patryk Dudek received a wild card for this tournament, and the reserves are BETARD SPARTA Wroclaw juniors – Marcel Kowolik and Nikodem Mikołajczyk. Did you count on a chance to participate in these events before the Wroclaw audience?

I didn’t count on anything. If I got a wild card, I would be pleasantly surprised and excited, motivated. I will be watching the Grand Prix as I do every round. In professional sports, you don’t get anything for free. I’m working hard to someday earn a permanent place in such a select group of riders.

Magdalena Świergała