Winter of Krzysztof Buczkowski (interview)

About the track in Bydgoszcz, cycling, music, track record, and the trip to Leszno – says Krzysztof Buczkowski.

Interview with Krzysztof Buczkowski, ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz athlete, conducted by Mikołaj Dukiewicz, a student of class III e at the III General High School in Bydgoszcz named after Adam Mickiewicz, created as part of the YOUNG SPEEDWAY JOURNALIST ACADEMY.

Mikołaj Dukiewicz: – What is your favorite winter sport and why?

Krzysztof Buczkowski: – It used to be snowboarding, but I haven’t done it in a long time. I don’t have a favorite sport. Simply, when we go somewhere in the mountains, it’s definitely snowboarding, but it’s not regular. I prefer summer sports.

How do you handle recovery between seasons?

Recovery? It’s hard to say it’s recovery. Actually, after the last match, I spend most of the time at home. I take a total break from any sports for about two months. There’s also time for a trip, for some holidays in warm countries.

Do you have favorite places to spend your holidays?

The United States, a really nice place for me, I like it very much there. I think it’s my favorite when it comes to holiday destinations.

You often share your cycling workouts on social media. What is your personal record?

A one-time distance of 156 kilometers from Grudziądz to Gdynia.

Do you prefer riding on new routes or rather on proven ones?

I like to have planned where I’m going before the training, but I’ve been riding for a relatively long time and
when I have planned routes – I follow the pattern. Not repeating the same route consecutively but often ride on these proven routes.

Do you listen to music?

I listen to music, now it’s more of an energetic type like techno, sometimes Polish hip hop, so there’s a bit of it.

How does it help you?

It helps or doesn’t help… Sometimes it depends on the day, on the mood, really sometimes I go in total silence to competitions, because I usually travel alone, and on other days “something has to play,” so it’s not always music.

Is the stress usually greater before competitions, or after unsuccessful competitions?

Generally, there’s stress before competitions. After the competitions, if they are unsuccessful – it’s more of a short analysis to prevent such poor results from repeating, so obviously – we try to quickly move on and go “from competition to competition”.

Last season you competed in a very distinctive retro-kevlar. Will you continue to use it this new season or surprise us with something new?

No, there will only be a different color scheme. Actually, the design will be the same, but the color scheme will be a bit different.

Is the track record in Bydgoszcz breakable at the moment?

With the current track – I don’t think so. If I remember, this record belongs to Emil Sajfutdinow (59.64 s on 08.05.2011 – author’s note). It’s well below sixty seconds. If I remember, that track was much stickier than now, so… Although how it will be in the new season – I don’t know, if there will be linear drainage or if there will be verification and the parameters won’t change, but I think all records can be broken, but in this case, it will be difficult.

There’s quite a discussion online about the “big path” in Bydgoszcz. Many people think it’s very dangerous. What’s your opinion on this?

You just need to know how to ride. You need to have the style – suitable for riding close to the fence. Especially in Bydgoszcz, where that path naturally developed itself from the very beginning. Later we started to replicate it, it started to suit us during home matches. This
is a difficult issue. For some, it might be dangerous, for some it’s a handicap. I have no stance, it just is what it is.

How do you view the trip to Leszno? Do you have mostly good memories or bad memories associated with the Unia facility?

Good, very good, but I try not to think about it because it’s still a while away, but it will surely be an interesting and intense match. The track in Leszno is similar to the track in Bydgoszcz. It seems to me – from my perspective – it has the same character. These curves are also quite long, maybe even longer in Leszno, but I think the Leszno track is conducive to battling.

Mikołaj Dukiewicz