Bjarne Pedersen facts for kids
Bjarne Aagaard Pedersen, born on July 12, 1978, in Holstebro, Denmark, is a famous former international motorcycle speedway rider. He proudly represented his home country, Denmark, in the Speedway World Cup. He helped his team win this big competition twice, in 2006 and 2008.
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| Born | 12 July 1978 Holstebro, Denmark |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Danish |
| Career history | |
| Denmark | |
| 1996–2001, 2007–2015, 2018 | Holstebro |
| 2002 | Vojens |
| 2003–2006, 2014–2017 | Holsted |
| 2004 | Slangerup |
| 2019–2021 | Esbjerg |
| Great Britain | |
| 2000–2001, 2003 | Newcastle |
| 2002–2010, 2016 | Poole |
| 2011, 2013–14 | Eastbourne |
| 2012 | Birmingham |
| 2015 | Leicester |
| 2021 | Peterborough |
| 2021 | Plymouth |
| Poland | |
| 1997, 2019–2020 | Opole |
| 1999, 2006 | Toruń |
| 2001–2002 | Rawicz |
| 2003 | Łódź |
| 2004 | Zielona Góra |
| 2005, 2007–2008 | Gdańsk |
| 2009–2011 | Tarnów |
| 2012–2015 | Gniezno |
| 2016 | Piła |
| 2017 | Lublin |
| 2018 | Ostrów |
| Sweden | |
| 1998, 2012 | Vargarna |
| 1999, 2016 | Elit Vetlanda |
| 2000–2002 | Kaparna |
| 2003, 2005–2009 | Västervik |
| 2004 | Masarna |
| 2010, 2017–2018 | Indianerna |
| 2014–2015 | Piraterna |
| Germany | |
| 2015 | Diedenbergen |
| Speedway Grand Prix statistics | |
| Starts | 71 |
| Podiums | 7 (1-2-4) |
| Finalist | 7 time |
| Winner | 1 times |
| Individual honours | |
| 2004 | Danish Champion |
| 2004 | Elite League Riders Champion |
| 1999 | Danish Junior Champion |
| 2004 | European Grand Prix Winner |
| Team honours | |
| 2003, 2004, 2008 | Elite League Champion |
| 2003, 2004 | Elite League KO Cup Winner |
| 2002, 2006 | Craven Shield Winner |
| 2003 | British League Cup Winner |
| 2001 | Premier League Champion |
| 2005 | Swedish Elitserien Champion |
| 1997, 2003, 2006 | Danish League Champion |
| 2007 | Elite League Pairs Champion |
| 2006, 2008 | World Cup Winner |
Contents
Bjarne Pedersen's Speedway Journey
Bjarne Pedersen started his exciting speedway career in 1990. He quickly showed his talent, winning his first big title in 1994. This was a Danish junior pairs championship, which he won with his teammate Charlie Gjedde. Even though he started early, he didn't become a full-time professional rider until the year 2000.
Racing in the United Kingdom
Bjarne began racing in the United Kingdom with the Newcastle Diamonds team. They were part of the Premier League. He first competed in the Speedway Grand Prix events in 2002. These were special races where he joined as a "wild card" rider.
Grand Prix Success
His first full season in the Speedway Grand Prix series was in 2003. But it was in 2004 that Bjarne achieved a huge milestone. He won his only Grand Prix event at the European Grand Prix in Wrocław. In the same year, 2004, he also won the Elite League Riders' Championship. This important race was held at Wimborne Road on October 17.
Loyalty to Poole Pirates
After the 2007 season, Bjarne felt less excited about the Grand Prix series. However, he qualified for the 2008 series, which brought back his enthusiasm. The Poole team kept Bjarne for the 2008 season. The team's promoter, Matt Ford, explained that Bjarne was chosen because he had been very loyal to Poole for six seasons. He continued to ride for Poole until the end of the 2010 season. After that, he joined the Eastbourne Eagles for the 2011 season.
Later Career and Retirement
On August 20, 2011, Bjarne qualified to be a permanent rider for the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix. He finished second in the GP Challenge, which helped him secure his spot. After riding for Birmingham Brummies for one season, he returned to Eastbourne for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
In 2015, he rode a few races for Leicester Lions. Then, in 2016, he rejoined his former team, Poole, for the 2016 Elite League season. In 2021, Bjarne signed with two teams: Peterborough Panthers and Plymouth Gladiators. He had a fantastic year with Peterborough, winning both the league and cup in the SGB Premiership 2021 season. After this great success, he announced that he was retiring from speedway racing.
Speedway Grand Prix Results Overview
This table shows Bjarne Pedersen's performance in the Speedway Grand Prix series over several years.
| Year | Position | Points | Best Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 26th | 10 | 12th | 2 Wild card rides |
| 2003 | 14th | 51 | 3rd | Finished 3rd in the Norwegian GP |
| 2004 | 10th | 78 | Winner | Won the European GP |
| 2005 | 6th | 90 | 2nd | Finished 3rd in the Swedish GP, 3rd in the British GP and 2nd in the Czech GP |
| 2006 | 12th | 82 | 3rd | Finished 3rd in the Danish GP |
| 2007 | 12th | 77 | 5th | |
| 2008 | 11th | 69 | 2nd | Missed European and Swedish GPs through injury. Finished 2nd in the Italian GP. |
| 2011 | 22nd | 3 | 14th | 1 Wild card ride |
| 2012 | 13th | 59 | 6th |
