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Post by admin on Nov 3, 2010 20:41:54 GMT
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Post by admin on Nov 3, 2010 20:43:24 GMT
Swedish star Freddie Lindgren admits his target of a top five finish in this year’s World Championship was a little over-ambitious.
The Wolverhampton rider was 11th in the final standings, but retained his place in the Grand Prix series after finishing third in the GP Challenge at Vojens on August 21.
Lindgren was ninth in 2009, but has never broken into the competition’s top eight. He admits a difficult start, which saw him fail to reach a single semi-final in the opening five rounds didn’t help.
But he bounced back with double-figure returns in Cardiff, Malilla, Gorican and Bydgoszcz in the second half of the season, and is determined to build on these displays in 2011.
He said: “I said top five before the start of the season, but maybe I put my aim a bit too high. I don’t know.
“I had a really tough start to the series and I was well down for a while. The second part was a bit better. I made a few changes that made me ride better and I felt more secure with my equipment.
“The second half of the season was pretty good, except for Vojens, when I was just coming back from my injury, and I didn’t have such a good meeting at Terenzano. That’s a track I really, really struggle on.
“Other than that, I think I did okay and I was in double figures quite a few times. I’m still positive about next year and I think I’m learning. I’m still learning.
“I’m going to make a few small changes for next year; I won’t say what, but I’m not going to change much.
“I have a good team around me and I’m riding better and better. I’m starting to ride better lines, my gating is improving and that’s something I’m working really hard on. If I learn to gate, then I’ll be really good.”
Lindgren only missed the semis by one point or on countback in four out of the five opening rounds this year. This was hard to swallow for the 25-year-old, but he has no intention of putting this disappointment down to bad luck.
He said: “It’s not about bad luck. People say ‘oh you were unlucky’ or ‘bad luck’, but it’s not about luck. You make your own luck and I just wasn’t good enough at the start. That was the problem.”
Asked what his target was for 2011, Lindgren replied: “Next year I’m not going to say what my aim is going to be. I’ll keep it to myself and see if I can get it.”
sgp
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Post by admin on Nov 4, 2010 8:35:13 GMT
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Post by steavyd on Nov 4, 2010 21:14:09 GMT
My 'one to watch' in next years series.  |
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Post by admin on Sept 29, 2011 6:54:10 GMT
Swedish star Freddie Lindgren admits his end-of-season push is “going according to plan”, but he is disappointed to be 10 points adrift of the World Championship’s top eight.
The 26-year-old is ninth in the standings after collecting bronze medals in his last two events at Vojens and Gorican.
The Orebro-born racer had targeted double figures in the final three SGPs of 2011 in a bid to make a last-ditch surge into the top eight automatic qualification places and secure his spot for 2012.
So far he has exceeded this mark, scoring 13 in Vojens and 12 in the Croatian SGP on Saturday. But Lindgren, who has 85 in total, knows he will need another high-scoring performance if he is to overhaul eighth-placed Chris Holder on 95.
He said: “It’s going according to plan, but I’m still 10 points adrift of the top eight positions, so I’m not catching up as much as I wanted to.
"But I said I wanted to be in double figures. It’s a goal I feel is reachable.
“I just have to go for it big time in Gorzow and we’ll see what happens. I can only focus on myself and if I’m in double figures, I’m happy. In Gorzow I just have to go for it as much as I can.”
Lindgren knows his Grand Prix future rides on the FIM Enea Gorzow SGP of Poland on October 8.
The former Zielona Gora rider has always had a fierce reception at the Edward Jancarz Stadium due to his ties with Falubaz – Gorzow’s deadliest rivals. But Lindgren says the circuit will suit him well, even if he gets a hostile reaction from the terraces.
He added: “I like the track in Gorzow. I’ve been there many times and we’ve had some hot derbies with Zielona Gora. When the heat is on, I can perform there. I’m looking forward to it.
“The noise doesn’t make me ride any worse. I can handle it. There will be some nerves for a lot of guys in Gorzow, but I’m a cool guy and I can handle it.”
If Lindgren does miss out on the top eight, he could still enter next year’s World Championship if he receives a permanent wild card from series organisers BSI Speedway and the FIM.
But Fast Freddie said: “It’s hard for me to think about wild cards. I know I’ve had them in the past.
“Even though I qualified for this year, which was a really good feeling, I haven’t done as well as I’ve wanted to in the World Championship. I’d certainly take a wild card if I got one, but I won’t rely on one.”
sgp
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