Tomasz Bajerski: I am satisfied with the schedule (interview)

ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz, coached by Tomasz Bajerski, will once again compete for promotion to the PGE Ekstraliga. In a conversation with ekstraliga.pl, the current coach of Gryfs talks about preparations for the upcoming season in METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga.

Łukasz Rusiecki (ekstraliga.pl): We know the schedule for METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga. Is this year’s lineup favorable for ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz in terms of a successful start to the season?

Tomasz Bajerski (coach of ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz): The schedule is what it is, and I have no influence on it, so I fully accept it. We’re going classic – matches and rematches, in which we want to score as many points as possible to advance to the playoffs. Ideally, we would enter the playoffs from the first place, where the fight for the PGE Ekstraliga will then begin. The schedule is fine with me, and I am fully satisfied with it, but in the end, everything will be decided in the final part of the season.

The second and third rounds seem important in terms of psychological advantage and understanding the opponent. Are there plans for test matches on tracks that somewhat resemble the rival’s terrains in the first rounds?

From the moment I arrived in Bydgoszcz, I have always tried to do this. Before each away match, we would practice on a similar track, but if there wasn’t one, we trained on any foreign terrain to avoid riding on the home oval, as it was pointless. As for the third match of the season, I don’t think there’s a fight for psychological advantage in this case. We treat such confrontations like any other match in the season.

Is there a preliminary plan in the team regarding the preparation of the Bydgoszcz track to make it an even greater ally for the hosts than last year?

If we were to talk to each rider separately about how to prepare the home track, we’d very likely end up in a situation where everyone wanted a different surface. The coach or manager’s task is to prepare a surface that is consistent. Whether it is hard or grippy is secondary. The most important thing is its consistency. The track can be hard, soft, the start can be “scratched” or not, but it doesn’t play a bigger role because its consistency is the most important. We still have the issue of rebuilding the linear drainage ahead of us, so first, we’ll have to wait until that is finished.

Last year, Bartosz Nowak was loaned to H. SKRZYLEWSKA ORZEŁ Łódź before his last year in the youth category. Will this player get a chance to ride in the first team this time?

At the moment, we have three juniors – Bartosz Nowak, Kacper Andrzejewski, and Emil Maroszek, and they will compete for a place in the lineup for league matches. I can’t say who will make it into the team because it’s all in their hands, heads, motorcycles, and, most importantly, their hearts. My basic rule is that the best will always go.

I understand that the newly acquired Kacper Andrzejewski does not have a guaranteed place in the lineup. Can Bydgoszcz fans expect a gradual introduction of academy graduates into the team?

Definitely yes. If Emil Maroszek rides well, he will compete in METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga matches. If Kacper Andrzejewski or Bartosz Nowak are better than him, it will be them who compete in the league. However, I think Emil Maroszek is just beginning his adventure in METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga, so he should slowly get accustomed and familiar to eventually become a key junior for ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz.

Do you monitor the preparation of your players for the season – I mean primarily the juniors, and is a team training camp planned closer to spring?

Yes, we are planning a several-day training camp in Żnin, as every year. When it comes to monitoring, I think that’s the right word. I know well how the guys train, with whom, where, and in what groups they do it. I also have constant contact with fitness trainers, so I have all the information on an ongoing basis. I see that the players are really committed to the preparation process, so I am confident about their fitness preparations.

How much do you think these preparations have changed since your time as a junior? Do you notice significant changes in the approach to winter preparations?

Winter preparations take place on the same principle. We know well what we need. We don’t have to be “buffed up,” but agile and enduring. Since my time, it’s changed that currently, speedway riders during their free time in the season continue training, both in the gym, running, or riding motocross. When I was an active rider, after the end of the winter break, we would stop physical training and focus solely on activities on the track.

Are there any potential transfers expected during the season, perhaps from the U24 Ekstraliga to secure the team in case of an injury to a key player?

There have been no discussions on this topic at the moment.

How do you assess the new playoff format? Will it enhance the spectacle of the sport, or perhaps promote the form of the day but not necessarily stronger teams in the context of the entire season?

As long as I remember, the playoff phase has always operated under its own rules. The condition of the day mattered, including physical, mental, and psychological strength, so I think we should adapt to it. It is not for me to judge the system because, as usual, the final matches are the most important.

Łukasz Rusiecki