ŻUŻEL/INTERVIEW/PGEE: Andzejs Lebedevs: The Gorzów track is difficult, but good for learning

Andzejs Lebedevs is the new rider for STAL Gorzów, who is combining his participation in the Lubusz team with competing as a full participant in the Speedway Grand Prix series. In the latest interview for ekstraliga.pl, he talks about his preparation for the season and his relationship with his new club.

• The Latvian talks about his stay in sunny Spain and his approach to winter training
• The current Individual European Champion feels good in the new environment and has full confidence in the actions of the club’s management
• I had a poor start to the cycle because the first rounds in Gorican, Warsaw, and Landshut didn’t go well for me, but everything took off after Prague – about the previous season in the Speedway Grand Prix series
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Łukasz Rusiecki (ekstraliga.pl): I know that you’re back from a vacation in Barcelona. How did you like your stay there, and do you feel recharged for the upcoming season?

Andzejs Lebedevs (STAL Gorzów rider): For several years now, such trips have been one of the stages of my preparation for the new season and have somewhat become a tradition. I always travel with my bus carrying a motocross bike and bicycle, so I spend pleasant time there with my family, but also train outdoors, unlike in Poland or Latvia, where training is mainly indoors. I go to recharge the batteries, and I can say that I’m on the final stretch in terms of physical preparation for the new season. During the day until around 4 PM, I was busy with physical preparations, and later spent time with my family, where we could explore Barcelona or other cities. Spain is very attractive in this respect because wherever you go, you can see beautiful landscapes full of nature, so just walking around in such surroundings is great. I can confidently say that the trip fully served its purpose, and I recharged with vitamin D.

Do physical preparations in the gym also form an inseparable part of your preparations aside from motocross or cycling?

Of course. I really enjoy physical activities and consider myself someone who does more in this aspect than necessary. I’m passionate about sports and different forms of activity, whether it’s soccer or other disciplines. I always enjoy playing wherever there’s a ball, a paddle, small or large tennis, basketball, or volleyball, and I gladly engage in something. I admire many athletes from other disciplines and love doing it. I don’t need motivation for training because I wake up in the morning and do it with pleasure. Of course, there are days when I don’t feel like it, just like everyone else, but most of the training hours are spent with a smile on my face.

When do you plan your first rides on the track, and where will they take place?

I have a planned trip on March 10th to Slovenian Krsko, where I have a booked training spot, so if I don’t manage to ride anywhere earlier, then by March 10th at the latest, I will hit the track, whereas with the Gorzów STAL team we will meet at the Jancarzu.

What about the club change around which there has been a lot of buzz lately? Do you trust that STAL Gorzów is getting back on track and things will only get better, that the not-so-good situation in winter won’t negatively impact your results?

We haven’t spent much time together so far, but we are in constant contact. I don’t involve myself in off-track club matters because competent people handle those affairs, and they know what to do to stabilize the club. From what I can see, everything seems to be going according to plan; none of us have access to the club account or office, so we can’t speak to the details, but everything currently looks fine. My strictly business relationship between STAL Gorzów and Andzejs Lebedevs, who has signed with the club, is good, and the club is fulfilling the agreement in 200%, so I hope these problems are behind us, and we will discuss them in the past tense.

Do you have clearly defined goals for the upcoming season? Since there is currently no rider for the U24 position, the margin for error will be really small.

As I mentioned earlier, during the winter preparations, we did not have many opportunities to discuss such issues. Each of us prepares individually and deals with our things, so we are not in constant contact to discuss seasonal goals. I believe the time will come when we all meet on the track in Gorzów. That should be the right time to discuss these types of topics with the board and coaching staff. I think so far, it’s not a subject we have to discuss since the club and us – the riders – were busy with other matters.

How do you feel on the Gorzów track, which is considered highly technical? It seems like regular riding on such an oval can only positively impact you, as mentioned by other riders? What are your memories of riding on this oval?

I rather have bad memories from this oval – broken ribs and a punctured lung (laughs). The track is really technical, and I always found it tough when I visited as a guest, but I am not afraid of this track because having access to it 24/7, being able to train anytime and test equipment settings, as well as learning its geometry, should benefit me. The Gorzów track is generally difficult for visitors, but having this type of advantage on our side is nice. I suppose I will have to spend many hours and complete many laps to fully break it down and understand its specificity. After installing linear drainage, the track’s trajectory and curve angle have changed, and when I returned there with CELLFAST WILKI Krosno after a few years, I was pleasantly surprised. Although I scored about 9 points, I enjoyed riding there; I just couldn’t get a good start from the tape. Overall, I like riding on this track after the reconstruction, so I will be learning this oval with my team to be a strong point for the team.

What are your plans for the next season in the Speedway Grand Prix cycle, and what conclusions will you draw from the previous season regarding your cycle starts? Weaker performances like those in Warsaw, where you haven’t won a heat yet, or in Gorican were much better in later rounds? Do you have a plan for a strong start to the new championship season?

I had a poor start in the cycle because the first rounds in Gorican, Warsaw, and Landshut were not good for me; however, everything picked up after Prague, and I was competitive against the best riders and maintained a high level. In 11 rounds, I made 6 semifinals and 1 final, so the riding was more stable. I feel I have settled in the cycle because the initial rounds were hindered by stress. Certainly, not entirely correct engine choices also impacted my results. I think notes from the previous season will be helpful. I’m very glad I didn’t have to wait for the organizer’s wild card decision this time, so journalists won’t have a field day with it. I won very strongly attended championships – the Speedway European Championship, which the media doesn’t talk much about, but it’s secondary because I feel satisfaction from winning in such a strong field with Maciej Janowski, Leon Madsen, Anders Thomsen, Patryk Dudek, Rasmus Jensen, and Piotr Pawlicki, so I didn’t make it to the Speedway Grand Prix by accident.

Łukasz Rusiecki