RIDING FOR A FALL...

ALL THE THRILLS AND SPILLS FROM THE BRITISH SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX IN CARDIFF

SWEDISH star Antonio Lindback won last night’s FIM Speedway Grand Prix in front of 45,000 fans at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Lindback came out on top after a great battle with British rider Tai Woffinden in the final, with Bartosz Zmarzlik third and Greg Hancock fourth.

Scunthorpe-born Woffinden closed the gap on Hancock at the top of the World Championship standings, moving on to 63 points, just three behind the American with six rounds to go.

Lindback was a shock winner on a night when the favourites were given a jolt in Cardiff.

Series leader Hancock scraped into the semi-finals and world champion Woffinden needed to win his final qualifying heat to make the grade.

Poole’s Chris Holder was sent packing with just six points at the Principality Stadium despite starting with a pair of second places.

But the 2012 world champion found life tough from the outside gate, rendering academic the Australian’s final outing in heat 20.

Maciej Janowski racked up 11 points but suffered from the luck of the draw in the semi-final as Woffinden and Hancock, rejuvenated by their fightbacks, qualified comfortably.

In the final, Lindback stormed out in front as he had so frequently all night to deny Woffinden the maiden success on home soil he so desperately craved.

There was a double delay to the opener with Zmarzlik hitting the deck both times, firstly because of a firstbend bunch up and then after being clipped by Peter Kildemand.

Zmarzlik wiped out Freddie Lindgren second time around but all four riders came to tapes for the third attempt.

Lindback set the tone for his even- ing by hitting the front with Lindgren scarcely on the track as he flew up the inside to move into second, only to be passed by Kildemand and Zmarzlik.

Holder’s hopes of emerging from a tight tussle for the semi-finals took a huge dent as he struggled from gate four in heat 14 and was unable to beat Kildemand at the back.

Piotr Pawlicki was at the front throughout ahead of the battling Danny King.

Fredrik Lindgren and Bartosz Zmarzlik fall during the first heat of the British FIM Speedway Grand Prix at the Principality Stadium

Sweden’s Antiono Lindback, centre, salutes the crowd after winning the British FIM Speedway Grand Prix, at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, ahead of Great Britain’s Tai Woffinden and Bartosz Zmarzlik of Poland. Greg Hancock of the United States finished...