FRENCH HEROES SEEK MORE HISTORY IN MANCHESTER

French racer David Bellego has more Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations history in his sights as his country lines up in its first world final in Manchester this weekend.

Bellego, Dimitri Berge and under-21 racer Steven Goret joined forces to take France to third place in Monster Energy SON Semi-Final 2 in Daugavpils on September 18. They then defeated Germany in the Final Qualifier to snatch the last spot at the National Speedway Stadium.

France never made it beyond the FIM Speedway World Cup qualifiers, but the Monster Energy SON format has given them the chance to mix it with the best in the world.

The French riders are no strangers to top-level racing – Bellego has raced in the Speedway European Championship and Berge and Goret competed in the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship.

Bellego and Berge played a key role in Masarna’s Bauhaus Elitserien title win in Sweden last year, while Bellego was also part of Swindon’s SGB Premiership championship-winning squads in 2017 and 2019.

While they start Saturday and Sunday’s meetings with Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Australia and Latvia as underdogs, Bellego sees no reason why France should just be there to make up the numbers.

He said: “You know how speedway is now. You have to be good on the day and have good speed and good starts. I guess when all this comes together, you can do good things. We are realistic and we know it is going to be tough. But why not chase for a medal?

“It’s really, really good for us, the French federation and the whole country that we are going to the Final.

“I guess there is not so much pressure on us going there. It’s kind of a bonus for us to have made the Final anyway. So we are really happy and really looking forward to it. We are going to give our best for the whole two days and we will see what happens at the end.”

All three French riders have raced for UK clubs, with Berge spending two seasons with Manchester side Belle Vue in 2018 and 2019, as well as previously lining up for Glasgow, Redcar, Sheffield and Berwick. Goret spent part of this season at Plymouth.

Bellego has previously represented Glasgow, Berwick, Sheffield, Redcar, Swindon and Ipswich, and he can’t wait to make a UK return. He said: “I raced there for many years. For me, England was my first base as a professional rider.

“I am definitely looking forward to being back there and also in Manchester. This is a great racing track. I am looking forward to this weekend.”