On 13 April 2019, the (then) 19-year-old was involved in a severe crash in the Italian speedway league. Fans in the stadium knew it was serious when they heard the young Italian’s screams of pain. Later in the hospital, it was revealed that he had fractured his femur and would be out for a least six months.
However, that didn’t stop the determined young Lenarduzzi turning up to the Italian national championships anyway. His stunned competitors were all surprised to see him hobbling around the depot in his kevlars with his bike. But the on-site doctors ruled that he was unfit to ride and Lenarduzzi was unwillingly turned away. He was at least able to return to competition in his home country in October 2019.
The Italian had promised that 2020 would be his “year of redemption” when he would finally get to race in Poland. But like many, he has had to scale down his ambitions and settle for only racing in his home country. Even so there has been no club racing in Italy, so Lenarduzzi has not been able to represent his club, MC Olimpia of Terenzano.
Instead the Italian racing authority have organised an individual competition which will complete its sixth and final round in October after Pardubice in completed. Lenarduzzi has made the most of the opportunity, and is well placed in fourth overall as well as leading the U21 competition.
Although he will not be 21 years old until December, he is already three times Junior National Champion in Italy. And with ambitions to travel to Poland still in place, he will be looking for a big performance in the FOGO FIM U21 World Championships. That is in part due to the fact that Pardubice will be his final opportunity to impress as a junior on the global stage.
