MADSEN’S PRIDE AT SPEEDWAY EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP HAT-TRICK

Danish star Leon Madsen hailed “a season we can be proud of” after racing to a record-equalling third Speedway European Championship at Czech track Pardubice on Friday, October 2.

Madsen won an epic fight for the title with Polish racer Maciej Janowski. Despite the former FIM Speedway World Cup winner topping the podium in round four of the championship, third place on the night was enough for Madsen to cling on to gold by one point on 47 in total.
Janowski finished second overall on 46, with Madsen denying him automatic entry into the 2027 Speedway GP World Championship.
The European champion is guaranteed a spot in the following season’s SGP series, but with Madsen qualifying for Speedway GP by finishing the sixth in this season’s World Championship, the SGP Commission will now select a fourth permanent wild card – on top of their regular three nominations.

Polish action man Kacper Woryna bagged bronze on 42, with Speedway GP rival Michael Jepsen Jensen fourth on 41 and triple SEC winner Mikkel Michelsen fifth on 40. Last year’s European champion Patryk Dudek beat Czech favourite Jan Kvech in a run-off for sixth spot after they tied on 38 points for the final qualification place for the 2027 SEC series.

But the night belonged to Madsen, and he was delighted to move level with Michelsen on three European titles. He was also elated to achieve a ninth straight season on the SEC podium, racking up a medal haul of three golds, four silvers and two bronzes.

Reflecting on a fine finish to 2026, he said: “Winning the European Championship and the Danish Championship, coming sixth in the World Championship and being vice world champion with the Danish national team is great. When I say all that, I think it’s a season we can be proud of for me and the team.

“I am super, super happy. Over the last eight or nine years, I have proved to everyone that I still belong here. I am among the best riders in the world, and I have won a medal in the European Championship for the ninth consecutive year to be become the most successful rider in SEC history. It’s amazing and something I feel I can be very proud of.

“This is a nice way to finish the season, and I want to dedicate the victory to my daughters Marika and Manuela, to my family, to my supporters, my team and my girlfriend.
“You’re all going to see me start next season hopefully at the same level and fighting for the championship in the GP as well.”

Madsen admits completing his hat-trick of SEC gold medals was no simple task after he started the night joint top of the standings with Woryna on 34, with Jepsen Jensen and Janowski on 33 in a nail-biting race for top spot.

Madsen topped the heat score chart on 12 points to qualify automatically for the final. With Janowski tallying 10 in the heats, the Dane just needed to avoid last place in the final to be crowned champion.
But disaster nearly struck for Madsen as a sluggish start left him battling Kvech for third, while LCQ winner Janowski launched a furious charge to reel in Michelsen for the win, taking first place almost at the same time as Madsen secured the point he needed for the title.

He said: “It was not an easy night. Maciej was battling and we were very close with each other, but I kept calm. I knew in the last race that I just needed one point.
“I made a terrible start, and I nearly **** myself. When I saw that Magic was passing Mikkel, I knew I had to get one point.

“I made a smart move on Jan, passed him and that secured my championship. I went out into the dirt a little bit, built the speed a little bit and cut back on him on the straight. I managed to do that because the team and I were working very hard to find a good setup on the bike.
“I just managed to keep that third place. I didn’t even think about trying to pass Mikkel or Maciej. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes that would allow Jan to pass me again.
“I knew I just had to keep that one point, and when I crossed the finish line, I was very happy.”