Dan Bewley says horror crash 'cost me two years' ahead of Speedway GP in Gorzow - Power of Sport

Published 20/06/2023 at 09:50 GMT

Dan Bewley was left in a wheelchair and unable to race for several months following a speedway crash in 2018 that saw him break his femur, shoulder and wrist. He has told Eurosport that he thinks the crash cost him two years of his career but made him a "better rider". He has also reflected on his debut Speedway GP season and his ambitions for this campaign ahead of competing in Poland.

Heartbreak for Bewley as Holder wins semi-final

Dan Bewley has revealed how a nasty crash in 2018 made him “a better rider in the long run” as he prepares to compete in round five of the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix in Gorzow, Poland.

Bewley, 24, broke his femur, shoulder and wrist following a crash while riding for Workington Comets.

He was left in a wheelchair for several months following the incident.

GP Poland

Watch - Fricke secures top time in qualifying and then top five riders pick their lanes

00:04:33

24/06/2023 at 15:10

But he has recovered and last year made a memorable debut in Speedway Grand Prix, winning back-to-back races in Cardiff and Wroclaw, Poland.

“I think that crash cost me two years in my career, but at the same time it probably made me the rider I am now,” Bewley told Eurosport’s 'Power of Sport' series, which airs on Eurosport 1 and discovery+ on Wednesday 21 June at 19:00 UK time.

“I had to focus on my technique because I was so scared to get back on the bike. It probably made me into a better rider in the long run.”

Bewley is yet to get on the podium this season but is eighth in the standings on 41 points, only 17 points behind second-placed Jack Holder.

Defending champion Bartosz Zmarzlik is on 70 points.

Looking back on his first Speedway Grand Prix season, Bewley said: “I learnt a lot but it was also feeling that I belong there.

“The biggest thing I learnt was I feel like I can ride fast enough but speed is not always everything.

“I think everybody has the ambition that they want to win but it’s one thing to say that and another thing to actually do it.

“That’s the goal to go for the top three and try to find a little bit extra.”

After this weekend’s race, the next stops on the circuit are Sweden and Latvia, before round eight in Cardiff.

Last year Bewley beat Zmarzlik to claim victory at the Principality Stadium.

“To get in the win in Cardiff was pretty special, it was a bit of a daydream,” he says.

‘Fabulous stuff!’ - Zmarzlik wins Teterow Grand Prix

“You could say it adds pressure and people maybe expect more from me now. I think you have to earn pressure and I think it’s a reward for your past success.

“If people expect me now to do better then so be it. I want to do better also. I enjoy it.

“I love riding any bikes. It’s just the adrenaline from it, pushing yourself, trying to go fast is a lot of fun.”

Bewley suffered disappointment last time out as he qualified for the semi-finals in second place behind Zmarzlik, but his bike packed up as he lined up from a dominant inside gate, and he was unable to compete.

GP Poland