BIRKEMOSE STANDS DOWN FROM DANISH SIDE

Teenage star Marcus Birkemose has stepped down from the Danish national team for personal reasons.

The 17-year-old enjoyed an incredible 2020 campaign, winning the European Under-21 Championship, finishing third in the Danish Final and impressing as his country claimed Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations bronze.

After such a stellar season, some will have been surprised to see him omitted from the Danish squad list.

But after talks between the rider and Danish bosses, both sports manager Soren Andersen and Birkemose confirmed the Gorzow star is sitting out for personal reasons.

Birkemose said: “It's really annoying and I do not think anyone is more upset than I am. But for personal reasons, right now I'm having a hard time concentrating fully on speedway at the elite level.

“Therefore, I am glad that I was able to talk to both the national coaches and NERI's sports director, where we agreed on the decision.

“I will use the time to come back again and will be in constant dialogue with NERI about my future on the national team.”

Birkemose’s omission from the side doesn’t stop him returning for the Monster Energy SON Semi-Finals in September if the rider was willing to race and the Danish management selected him.

Andersen insists he remains part of the team’s future plans. He said: “There is no doubt that Marcus is a huge talent, but we have seen the opportunity to take Marcus out this time around due to challenges in the rider's private life that can make it difficult to perform in a packed national team season.

“We see great potential in Marcus. He is only 17 years old and we do not close any doors. So when Marcus can once again focus 100 percent on elite speedway, he will definitely be part of our thoughts for the national team.”

Photo: Taylor Lanning