Within the time of just six days, Mads Hansen appeared twice on the winners’ podium in two U21 World Championship events. Saturday night in Stralsund, he beat the two best junior riders of Poland’s Ekstraliga to win the inaugural round of the Individual Junior World Championships. The following Friday, he swapped places with Jakub Miśkowiak and Wiktor Lampart on the Team World Championships podium, where Denmark took the second place behind the Polish duo who led their squad to victory.
The 21-year-old Dane was his nation’s top scorer in Bydgoszcz (scoring 17+1)
“I was pleased with my efforts, especially because it was the first time I was in Bydgoszcz”.
The FIM Team Speedway U21 World Championship teams are made up of three riders, but when Hansen and Marcus Birkemose picked up silver medals their teammate, Tim Sørensen was missing. That’s because he was unable to continue the competition after a serious crash in the middle of the meeting. Sørensen’s helmet was damaged in the accident but, amazingly, he did not break anything and has returned to Denmark with a diagnosis of concussion.
“There is always a blow to see one's teammate get injured, but it was important to remain calm and I knew Tim would want us to fight for the gold,” says Hansen.
The Team’s silver medal came just six days after the Danish junior rider won round 1 of the FIM Speedway U21 World Championship in Germany.
“It was great to cross the finish line first. It's something I have trained for all year, so that everything would be a success. It’s a great feeling, a lot of things going on in my head. It was just nice to be the last to go up on the podium,” he continues, “and it was me who received the trophy.”
But, whilst proud of his win, he is not going to get carried away after one victory.
“There are many of us who can win this championship. I just have to keep the focus in the second round, just as in the first. No point comes by itself, it’s all hard work”, Hansen is telling us about his approach to the forthcoming meeting in Krosno on September 25th.
It’s a busy end of the season for Hansen. The Dane raced in the Metal League Superfinale in his home country and now he’s going to appear in the final in Poland’s League 2 and in the two rounds of FIM U21 World Championships.
How does the 21-year-old cope with the intensity?
“There’s always pressure in these races, so I just take it one heat at a time – it’s about keeping a cool head, so I’m ready when it really matters”.
