Morvélo Test Team

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Lukasz Nowacki

 

Cold & Wet Start

Looks like I have spoken too soon.

Weather was very generous up until now. Cold, and wet. Last weekend we have started proper racing, with a win over Ipswich at home. I was quite happy with an 16+2, one race didn’t go to plan, got beaten by a young man, and that made him very proud indeed. At least someone was happy. Monday I went to the Christine Ellis Memorial at Wednesfield.

Not a bad field, on an extremely wet afternoon, with two fours, 18 points would be a good result, but I wasn’t very happy at the end. Made stupid mistakes, and could not get past anybody. Gating was up and down. Good at the start but then not so quick. Performances like this are messing my head up. I don’t know if I’m going in the right direction. I didn’t feel fast at all, but I know I’m training hard. I don’t feel tired or jaded, there are days I feel fast, and days I feel very slow.

I have noticed I’m always up against it in a weather like this. I just have to put it behind me and dig in. The ICSF decision didn’t go my way. I’m still banned for the Euro Club. It’s frustrating as I haven’t done anything wrong in my eyes. You will have a rider which was found guilty of assaulting another rider, broke his ban twice, he will be competing (no offence), and I’m sidelined. This would be my last Euro Club, I don’t have the energy to pursue these things anymore, long weekend away, another holiday at work.

It’s taking its toll. Exciting times on sunday. I’m going for a Polish Extraleague match in Czestochowa to ride for TSZ Torun. I hope we can start with a win. Theres is some more appearances to come, so watch this space. I will be wearing my Morvelo again around the world. I should have a new helmet and gloves soon thanks to POC, and still waiting for the 5.10 trainer supply to come. It just takes forever.

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention my protege, Lauren Davies. We have been working very hard through the winter and early stages of the season. I have been talking to her and showing her a couple of things. I don’t know how much of this is actually sinking in, but certainly Lauren is in flying form. She destroyed her opposition on Monday at Wednesfield, beating a very strong field of girls with a faultless 20 point max to take the Ladies Dash Trophy.

Well done. Next Elite League meeting is at… Wednesfield again. It will be my fourth visit, so hoping for a good result. It will be an extremely difficult task. The aces are amongst the favorites to take the title, so we will have to have something special in the bag to beat them.

Filed under  //   Lukasz Nowacki  
Posted by Morvélo 

Lukas Nowacki :: Speedway Pro

We're still stoked that we have a World Champion on the Test Team, and looking forward to the years ahead with Lukas. He's been at the top of his game for so long but now faces a tough season ahead. He'll rise to the challenge we're sure.

Filed under  //   Lukasz Nowacki  
Posted by Morvélo 

I'm going to be a film star!

Looking forward to this sunday. Exciting times, after a couple of very cold weeks. Some light in the tunnel. We are going to make a short video. Along with Simon Gamble and his film company, Shift Studio. Simon the man behind the Sky coverage of last year’s British Final at Norwich. I’m really impressed with his video work. He can single handedly lift the sport from the darkness that surrounds it. Not sure yet on what the video is going to look like, but knowing his approach we’ll try to show the sport from a little bit different angle, maybe link it to its street roots, and tough beginnings. So bike has had a facelift, all new parts re-fitted :) and we are ready to roll.
Training is going full power now. The Leicester Powerhouse is going for it. We will have a lot on our shoulders this year. We simply cannot afford any weaknesses. We have enjoyed our first session with Rod at Abbey Sports and Leisure, and a proper circuit training went down quite well. We even had support of our own WAGs squad. Track is coping with the snow quite well, although we look at each other thinking… what the hell are we doing here in this snow? I have had a pleasure of testing track’s surface, and how firm it is, on two occasions already, luckily it was more of a friendly slide rather than a full on crash.
Sponsors less generous as other years, and I thought once I earn those stripes, I will be rolling in it. I have had a positive response from True Precision Components USA. I have a set of BMX hubs on their way. They will be something new to what I’m used to. They are cassette hubs (don’t require freewheel) with their claim of instant engagement and similarity to Chris King designs it’s going to benefit our sport big time. I hope to post the finish product once I have them.
My first outing will be at Hull on March the 4th in a challenge match. Week after I will be doing my bread and butter, individuals at Wednesfield on the 10th with hopes for third straight win, and an interesting Memorial meeting at Ipswich, track that i should master if I hope to do well in European Championships in August. I have to get time off work first…

Filed under  //   Lukasz Nowacki  
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Difficult times

Very sad news for all Leicester people involved in the sport. Passing of Wil Burns was a shock to all of us, and we will have to do it the hard way now. Club is fighting it hard to stay at the top level, but it is such a task for all of us to keep it going after the greatest menager is gone. As suspected the Elite/Premier League affair is proving to be one big mistake, with rules allow riders from the second tier riding in Elite as well.

It gives clubs like ours great disadvantage. We haven’t got the resources of Horspath or Sheffield to draft riders in and lure them over to fill in for big matches. It will swing the title towards teams with favourable fixtures lists as there is 4 matches that those riders can ride in. Our rooster is very limited, but we’re not giving up. Luckily enough we have great, great leaders in Jason and Kev.

They are able to lift anybody, which I can only be the best proof of it. Jason and Mark Newey made a big effort to help me out when I was riding some shockers last season. This is what makes Leicester a club You want to ride for, with team spirit always very high, and the memory of Wil around the place, we hope to have a great year.

Luckily winter is a little bit more generous as last year, we’re able to train on the car park twice a week. Last sunday I was ambitious enough to brave the freshly re-laid track but I’d give it another month…. it was a tough session. Thanks to Abbey Sports and Leisure and Mr Andy Tee, we are starting circuit training sessions today. My trainer Rod will keep an eye on us and I really looking forward to it. I have been doing the same things as last year with him, kettle bells sessions combined with weight.

First match of the season being as early as March the 4th and a challenging trip to Hull, with Bartek Giemza making his UK debut. Mark my words, he’s a name to look out in the future. First tough test is a week later and trip to Wednesfield for an annual gruelling Dash Trophies GP, where I will hope for a third consecutive win.

Filed under  //   Lukasz Nowacki  
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What a season eh?

Dscn2077

I have never had a year like that before. Throughout all my career I could be sure of one thing. Consistency. International championships in particular, there was some astonishing consistency in my results. Starting off in 2002 with a 4th in Euro Champs (run off for 3rd), followed with a 3rd (3man run off for 1st) in 2003 worlds. 4th again in 2004 Euro, and a 4th in Oz in 2005′s worlds. Since then I have started taking it a bit more seriously which reflected in positions: 3rd in 2006 (run off for 1st) Euro, 4th in 2007 (5 man run off, came back a broken man), 2nd in 2008 Euro, 3rd in 2009 worlds, 4th in 2010 Euro and finally win this year.
In the meantime managed two consecutive wins in the British GP, two consecutive Dash GP wins, three Norwich GP triumphs followed by a 2nd and a 3rd. This year I have broken my domestic duck and finally climbed on the podium finishing second in Polish Individual Championships.

Despite all that success the only thing I’m thinking about right now, during the winter break is my bad run of form, disappointing Laurels and lacklustre Play Offs in Poland. I have hit a really bad patch in the summer this year which I could not shake off. I have tried everything and nothing seemed to be working. It turned to desperation. I was looking for new motivations new targets and goals. I have never doubted in my abilities but I must admit it has knocked my confidence down and at the end couldn’t wait for the year to finish. In that time I have made a few changes to my bike set up, which worked a treat. I would like to improve it even more. I’m always looking for ways to innovate and get my bike a step ahead. I now have two identical bikes, one in Poland, one in the UK. Both bikes have same set up, titanium Lynskey frames are running on Shimano XTR cranks, DT Swiss rims with System Ex track hubs, both have VIZ halflink chains, with Trailtech freewheels. I run Kenda Small Block8 tyres on the front and Specialized Houffalize tyres on the back (I alternate Kenda’s with Charge Splashback in the UK) in both bikes showing off Selle Italia Troy Lee saddles. 

I wear Morvelo super cool clothing, which I’m proud to be representing them in their catalogue, and just received their new range, very impressive. We are in talks about a themed cycle speedway design… watch this space! Finally I have just started my winter training at the Abbey Sport and Leisure centre in Leicester with my instructor Rod. And to help me with that i drink BikeFood energy products, which is my newest partner, kindly supplying me with nutrition for the 2012 season. I’m waiting and hoping I will be shortlisted to bear the Olympic torch, it would be a great thing to do, once in the lifetime opportunity. Things are looking up for the sport, but then again strange decisions being taken. Sky TV deal looks on the cards, we could have a couple of meetings showed on the telly. The Premier/Elite affair a bit of a hit and miss. Can’t see the benefit it would have. The top tier has been compromised and isn’t the strongest, hardly is a top tier anymore. British Champion racing in the second division, not a good thing surely for any sport. Only future will tell though.
In the meantime I can’t wait to get going again, I’m fighting an old enemy at the moment, and waiting…. we’ll see what the future bring for next year.

Filed under  //   Lukasz Nowacki  
Posted by Morvélo 

before the end

Epic days are upon me. Although my individual season finished two weeks ago, I have two most important matches of the 2011 season, the Polish Extraleague Play Off Finals. These matches keep me in line, and keep me motivated at training in this strong wind! Riding in two countries is very difficult. Constant travels, lack of sleep and exhaustion catches up with you. I was in . Poland last week for the Polish National Championships.

As ridiculous as it sounds, my individual record is pretty impressive, I've never even reached the rostrum in Poland. I must admit I've neglected my country recently, I haven't been ridning in the indis for ages (in fact it was 2007), just once in last 10 years so I had really high hopes of reaching at least rostrum place. I have to say preparation wasn't ideal, I had to get up at 3am to get a coach to Stansted, I have landed at 11:30 at Bydgoszcz to get to Torun for a 15:00 start.

Hot day and a long travel might have a big impact on me, although determination, desire and adrenaline pushed me to the maximum. Having a really bad draw with two outside grids (it's the formula in speedway that determines starting positions with inside gates beeing the most favourable) but managed to keep it together. I managed a second place which is absolutely dream come true. It was that missing piece of success that was eluding me for that long, and it rounds my individual efforts very well this year.

With wins at the Dash Trophies Grand Prix and a third at the Norwich Grand Prix it was then the biggest day of my riding career in America and a win in the World Championships final, the second place in the National final gives me the best season ever so far, and it's not even the end of it. The Polsih league is at its final stage and my team TSZ Pekum Torun have reached the final against the very powerful Leszno outfit. It is going to be raced at both tracks, first match at home at Torun. Ideally we want a large win, so we can control the second leg. We are a strong team and we are ready for it. 

Domestic season also draws to the end. Last sunday was my last match for Leicester in the Premier League, and a win against Wednesfield put us joint leaders with Horspath, but they have a superior points diffrence record to us. There was an emotional moment for me thanks to the clubs officials. They have presented me with the World Champion jersey, which I should receive in America, but unfortunately the organisers didn't have one. I can now put it on my wall, next to my trophy. Hope I can bring some more gold from Poland :D

Lukasz.

Filed under  //   Lukasz Nowacki  
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getting ready

On the day of the British Individual Championships, I always have a moment of deep thinking. For the reasons that I cannot comprehend, I can't take part in those and always have this weird feeling of rejection. I gave almost 10 years of my services to the British Cycling, and the sport over here. I have been competing in all league matches over the years, supporting local meetings and winning whatever was left to win like the British Grand Prix. But on this Bank holiday Monday I always feel under appreciated and always go for a proper training session. These sessions are always a pinnacle of my season. The moment when all the riders in the country riding their hearts out and putting their seasons behind them, I always put that little bit more just to forget about the disappointment. Luckily this year I decided to enter the Polish Championships, which obviously going to take me away from riding in here for a couple of weeks, but that's the price I'm prepared to pay. I'm a World Champion and feel kind of obliged to come over to Poland and complete my national duties. There is a lot of people that would love me to ride in there so I'm pleased I have found a new goal this year. I have never finished above 7th place in Poland, although only competed once since 2002. My preparations don't end on just putting that extra bit in training. I have fully built me other Lynskey bike and now I'm lucky enough to run two custom titanium cycle speedway bikes. They both have exactly the same specs, with XTR cranks, and DT Swiss wheels. I'm also excited about my two new additions to my sponsorship partners. I have acquired a nutrition specialist Mybikefood.com which just sent me some products for trying, and which I'm very pleased about Moore and Large cycle wholesaler sent me two very special tyres. I have found them online and wanted to have them straight away. Kenda small block 8 in 1.75 will take the sport by the storm. They are narrower to the preferred Maxxis larsens and much grippier than those. I'm looking forward to race the Polish Individual semi final on saturday, and hopefully be in that top 8 and earn my place in the final. World does not end on the British Individuals. Got to keep it going. Lukasz.

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