DUDEK EYES GOLDEN GOODBYE FOR CIESLAK

Polish star Patryk Dudek is determined to help national boss Marek Cieslak sign off his international coaching career in style with Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations gold this year.

Cieslak agreed a one-year extension to his deal as Polish coach and it has been reported Rafal Dobrucki will join his staff this season with a view to taking over for the 2021 season.

The Czestochowa boss won the FIM Speedway World Cup with his country seven times between 2007 and 2017, but the Monster Energy SON world title continues to elude Poland.

They topped the scorechart at last summer’s Final in Togliatti, but were beaten by hosts Russia in the Grand Final.

Dudek was handed a shock SWC debut at the 2013 Final in Prague, when Cieslak bravely replaced Tomasz Gollob due to fitness concerns.

The Zielona Gora hero says Cieslak’s faith in Poland’s golden generation has been huge, and having helped his boss to three world titles, he would love to land No.4 at the Monster Energy SON Final in Manchester this October.

He said: “This guy knows what speedway is about; he was a rider and he knows what we need. He knows how to speak with us.

“He also decided very early to put the young boys in the SWC team. He started with Janowski and then in 2013 he bet on me – even when I was only an under-21 rider.

“Step by step we have got three young boys into the SGP series, and in the last few series we also had the Pawlicki brothers.

“I think Cieslak has played a big part in that. We have one of the youngest world champions ever (Bartosz Zmarzlik) because the coach knew when to bet on us and how to speak with us.

“He is for sure one of the guys who made Polish speedway so strong. I hope we win gold in this year’s SON to make his coaching career complete.”