19-year-old Jan Kvech is perhaps the best Czech rider who will be taking part in the FOGO FIM U21 World Championships. But as the host nation, the country can also add three more riders to make up the field. And last week it was announced that they are Petr Chlupac, Daniel Klima and Pavel Kuchar.
Kvech, Chulpac and Kuchar
Kvech, Chlupac and Kuchar are all U19 riders who are already having an impact in international competitions. Their national board sees their potential and is given them opportunities to race at U21 level.
For example, all three appeared in the team which won the U19 European Pair Championships in Güstrow, Germany on Saturday. During that meeting in Heat 3, Chlupac and Kvech both beat Polish rider Jakub Miskowiak into fourth place. That will give them a little psychological advantage when they meet the Czestochowa rider again on Friday.
Meanwhile, back in August in Żarnowica, Poland, Kvech won the individual U19 European Championship. In the same race Klima picked up bronze, whilst Chulpac was fifth showing that the future is bright for Czech speedway. All three riders beat France’s representative on Friday, Steven Goret.
Chlupac and Klima will also get another chance at this competition, as unlike Kvech, they are both eligible to race for a final time in this U19 competition in 2021.
Petr Chlupac
Despite his youth, Chlupac has already is signed with Toruń, who have just won eWinner1 league. However, the young rider has not been in Poland but has spent this season at home in the Extraliga at Marketa Prague, the same club as Kvech.
Daniel Klima
Klima has also remained in the Czech Extraliga and is signed with SC Interteam Liberec. That is the same team as Ukrainian, Marko Levyshyn and Britain’s Daniel Bewley, who will both be rivals on the starting grid in Pardubice on Friday.
U21 European Championship
Macek came in just 13th place in the U21 European qualifier in Divisov in August. The round was won by Kvech, but Chlupac and Klima came 7th and 8th respectively. A number of their rivals on Friday were in that race - Levyshyn was 2nd, Germany’s Fienhage was 5th was and Goret 10th. It gives us an indication of how things might turn out in Pardubice.
Unfortunately, the follow up to the Divisov race, the U21 European Championship final in Hungary has now been cancelled. So, this means that Pardubice will be the last chance for these Czech juniors to shine in a major international competition this year.
