The general sponsor of the event is the Rietumu Bank.
The current competition will be the first large-scale international motorcycle racing at the renewed "Bikernieki" speedway track, which was completely renovated and brought into service last year.
Among the Grand Prix semifinal participants are 16 athletes from Latvia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, USA, Australia and other countries.
Latvia is represented by athletes Maksims Bogdanovs who convincingly got directly to the semifinals, as well as Andzejs Lebedevs and Kjastas Puodzhuks who will perform based on wild cards or special invitations.
In turn, among world stars of the speedway to perform on June 27 Riga will see this year World Cup winners — members of the Swedish national team: Antonio Lindback representing this year the "Lokomotiv" of Daugavpils in the Polish Speedway League, in Nice, Peter Ljung and Linus Sundstrцm. Two world vice-champions of this year — Peter Kildemand and Kenneth Bjerre are expected from Denmark.
Other participants will include the winners of the Speedway World Pairs Championship 2012 — Andrii Karpov and Oleksandr Loktaiev from Ukraine, vice-champion of Australia 2013 Dakota North, a young US champion Ricky Wells, experienced Polish riders Miroslaw Jablonski and Karol Baran, the two-time champion of Germany Kevin Walbert and Dane Leon Madsen who participated in seven stages of the Grand Prix.
According to the Chairman of the Track Racing Commission of Latvian Motorcyclists Federation Vladimirs Ribnikovs: "This semi-final is a competition of a very high level, a real festival for speedway lovers. At least 12-13 riders actually claim to hit the seventh of the strongest, and there is no one who has no chance of reaching the final. I think this race will be worthy of a big premiere for "Bikernieki" track.
Speedway in Latvia has been actively developed since the mid 20th
century. In the past 25 years, the only place where a speedway team is still performing and competitions of this sport are held is the "Lokomotiv" stadium in Daugavpils, the second largest city of Latvia. This stadium, which is recognized to be one of the best speedway tracks in Europe, regularly hosts World Championship series, and the Daugavpils speedway club has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Since last year, speedway has received a new impetus for development in Latvia’s capital Riga, where a training base for young athletes and competitions has been established.
The Rietumu bank has been the largest sponsor of the speedway competition in Latvia during the last five years.
Eleonora Gailisha Mass Media and Public Relations
Phone: +371-67020506
Fax: +371-67020563
E-mail:
egailisha@rietumu.lv
