LIDSEY CHASES AUSSIE TEAM SELECTION

Former World Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey is determined to fight his way into the Australian side as a senior rider after experiencing the FIM Speedway of Nations as a junior.

The Leszno and Vastervik star represented the Roos as their under-21 rider from 2018 until 2020, helping them win bronze at the 2019 SON Final in Togliatti.

Lidsey was too old to occupy the junior spot in 2021. But with countries no longer required to select an under-21 and three senior spots up for grabs from 2022 onwards, Lidsey is hopeful of racing his way back into the side.

He said: “Hopefully if I have a good year in 2022, I will be in one of those positions and racing for Australia again. I have raced for Australia for many years now as an under-21, but now I want to do it in a senior position.”

Lidsey enjoyed a sensational 2020 season, winning the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship in Pardubice and helping Leszno to the PGE Ekstraliga championship.

He admits he was unable to match that success in 2021. He said: “I struggled last year compared to 2020. I did very well that year and did better than everyone expected. Coming into last year, there was so much expectation and I had so much change in my personal life. It was so different.

“But now I know what to expect and how to prepare for the years to come. Hopefully that was one of my worse years and we can only go up from here.”

While Lidsey was making his mark in Europe in 2020, his partner Darcie was at home in Australia, where she gave birth to their son Eddie.

The young family travelled to Poland together for 2021 and Darcie and Eddie even joined him at the FIM Awards in Monaco as the Victorian racer collected his 2020 World Under-21 gold medal and rubbed shoulders with a galaxy of motorcycling stars.

Lidsey was delighted to have them by his side throughout 2022. He said: “That’s how it will be for many years to come.

“It was tough in 2020, but we’re together now and they are with me every step of the way. It doesn’t matter where we are in the world; we are all together and that’s all that matters now. It makes life a bit easier.”

Lidsey admits living on the other side of the world from their Aussie family and friends isn’t easy at times, so he hopes Covid-19 travel restrictions will ease as 2022 progresses and allow them to welcome more visitors from Down Under.

He said: “It is difficult at times because we don’t have as many friends in Poland and there’s the language barrier and stuff like that.

“It’s tough and no-one could travel over here last year because of Covid. My family and friends couldn’t come and visit. Hopefully this year my family can come and it would make the months go past so much quicker.”