Great Britain star Dan Bewley finished a brilliant third on his Speedway Euro Championship debut in Bydgoszcz on Wednesday.
The Belle Vue favourite could even have won the first of this season’s four rounds as he had just taken the lead in the Final only for a clash behind him between Mikkel Michelsen and Leon Madsen to result in the race being stopped.
With Michelsen excluded, Madsen won the re-run ahead of Piotr Pawlicki and Bewley had to settle for third place.
Defending champion Robert Lambert won his first two rides but a later mechanical failure proved costly as he missed out on reaching the closing stages.
Bewley said: “In the first running of the Final I made the pass so part of me is a little bit gutted, I thought I could have won the meeting.
“But these riders like Leon, a few years ago I was watching him on the TV, so to be in the same Final as him is pretty special.
“I’m happy with how far I’ve come and this is only the first round, so I’m really happy with third place.”
Picture: DANIEL SIEVERS