RUSSIA ROARS TO TEST VICTORY OVER POLAND

SGP duo Emil Sayfutdinov and Artem Laguta starred as world champions Russia roared to a thumping 52-38 win over Poland in Bydgoszcz on Tuesday.

World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik racked up a 14 paid 15-point maximum for the hosts. But Poland couldn’t stop the back-to-back Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations winners from underlining their title credentials.

Sayfutdinov led the charge on 12 points, with Laguta and Viktor Kulakov racking up 10 paid 11 points apiece. Vadim Tarasenko notched nine paid 11 and Grigorii Laguta added eight paid 11.

While Zmarzlik delivered a perfect performance for the Poles, the eight-time FIM Speedway World Cup winners struggled in the absence of Maciej Janowski and Piotr Pawlicki, who have not been selected for 2020 after missing a challenge match in Rybnik last October.

Zmarzlik’s Gorzow team mate Szymon Wozniak was Poland’s next highest scorer on seven, while SGP star Patryk Dudek managed six.

Janusz Kolodziej collected four paid five, Dominik Kubera scored a straight four and Jaroslaw Hampel recorded three.

Despite his decision to omit Janowski and Pawlicki from his 2020 squad, there is nothing prevent team manager Marek Cieslak from reversing that decision when the Monster Energy SON Final is staged on a date to be confirmed.