Latvian SGP: three Aussies in top six
The meeting was eventually abandoned due to heavy rain, but not before the men from down under made their presence feltAussie Troy Batchelor finished third in round five of the 2015 Speedway Grand Prix series in Latvia on Saturday, July 18, with countrymen Chris Holder and Jason Doyle in fourth and sixth respectively.
Recently crowned Polish champion Maciej Janowski charged to his first GP triumph, topping the rostrum on 12pts when the meeting was curtailed due to heavy rain after heat 20.
Triple world champ Nicki Pedersen was second, pipping Batchelor after they tied on 11pts with three wins and two third places apiece. This meant the Dane got the verdict, having won their head-to-head battle in race 16.
Batchelor endured a nightmare British SGP in Cardiff on July 4, crashing out of the meeting with back and shoulder injuries, so he was elated to storm back into top form in Latvia. “What a way to come back from Cardiff!” he said. “I went home in an ambulance and that wasn’t my night.
“Everything was going well in Cardiff before my crash. I feel I’m in the right place and it showed tonight. I had three good wins and some good speed. I tailed off a bit towards the end when the rain started coming. But it was a good GP.
“I’m probably going to spend tomorrow recovering. I’ll go home and have a few days’ rest. But everything is in the right place — we’ll just keep it there.”
Tai Woffinden still leads the championship on 63pts, from Pedersen (54), world champion Greg Hancock (49), Niels-Kristian Iversen (43) and Holder (41). Doyle and Batchelor are in eighth (37) and 12th (28).
Eight rounds still remain, including the big Aussie finale at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, October 24.
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