Hans Andersen (speedway rider)

Hans Nørgaard Andersen
Born (1980-11-03) 3 November 1980 (age 44)
Odense, Denmark
NationalityDanish
Career history
Denmark
2000–2003Brovst
2007–2008, 2012–2013, 2022–2023Fjelsted
2004–2005Fredericia
2010–2011, 2021Vojens/SES
2009Slangerup
2014–2016Munkebo
2017–2018Region Varde
2019Grindsted
Great Britain
2001–2002, 2009, 2016–2017Poole Pirates
2003, 2006–2008, 2011, 2019, 2021–2023Peterborough Panthers
2004–2005Ipswich Witches
2008, 2011, 2014–2015Coventry Bees
2010Belle Vue Aces
2012–2013Swindon Robins
2018, 2021Leicester Lions
2022Plymouth Gladiators
2023Berwick Bandits
Poland
1999Gniezno
2000Opole
2001, 2011Gorzów
2003Motor Lublin
2005–2007Wrocław
2008, 2010Toruń
2009Gdańsk
2012Grudziądz
2013-2104Bydgoszcz
2015-2020Łódź
2021Daugavpils
2023Rawicz
Sweden
1998Kaparna
1999, 2002–2012, 2015, 2018, 2020Dackarna
2013Västervik
2016Lejonen
Speedway Grand Prix statistics
SGP Number5
Starts53[1]
Podiums13 (4-6-3)
Finalist16 times
Winner4 times
Individual honours
2007Danish Champion
2004Scandinavian Grand Prix Winner
2006Danish Grand Prix Winner
2006Czech Grand Prix Winner
2008Golden Helmet of Pardubice (CZE)
Team honours
2006, 2008World Cup Winner
2006Elite League Champion
2001, 2002, 2008Craven Shield Winner
2008, 2009British Elite League Pairs Champion
2007Swedish Elitserien Champion
1997, 2000, 2005, 2018Danish League Champion
2002Italian League Champion
1999Swedish Allsvenskan Champion

Hans Nørgaard Andersen (born 3 November 1980, in Odense, Denmark)[2] is a former motorcycle speedway rider, who captained the Denmark national speedway team that won the Speedway World Cup in 2006 and 2008.[3][4]

Career summary

Andersen was a Danish Junior Champion in 1996 and reached the final of the 1999 Speedway Under-21 World Championship, where he finished fourth.[5] He began his British league career when he joined Poole Pirates for the 2001 Elite League speedway season. He spent 2002 with Poole before securing a move to Peterborough Panthers in 2003.[4]

During 2004 and 2005 he rode for Ipswich Witches and was an established member of the Danish national team as well as a regular rider in the Speedway Grand Prix. He won his first Grand Prix race during the 2004 Speedway Grand Prix, when he won the Speedway Grand Prix of Scandinavia. Despite being originally left out of the 2006 Speedway Grand Prix series, he replaced the retired Tony Rickardsson, eventually winning two Grand Prix meetings and finishing sixth in the final standings. He also became only the third rider to win a GP as a wild card.[6]

Andersen riding for Peterborough in 2007

In 2006, he returned to Peterborough and impressed by recording a 10 plus average in both 2006 and 2007 for them.[7] He won his first World Cup gold medal for Denmark when the team won the 2006 Speedway World Cup.

In 2007, Andersen became Danish National Champion for the first time. Andersen left his British club, Peterborough Panthers, mid-season in July 2008 after it emerged that the club had not paid him wages amounting to several thousand pounds.[8] Shortly afterwards he signed for Coventry Bees and teamed up with Chris Harris to win the Elite League Pairs Championship.[9] he won his fourth and final Grand Prix race during the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix, when he won the Speedway Grand Prix of Italy. He also won his second World Cup with Denmark after winning the 2008 Speedway World Cup.

Andersen rode for the Poole Pirates in 2009, and moved on to join the Belle Vue Aces for the 2010 season. He returned to the Peterborough Panthers team towards the end of the 2011 season, replacing Nicki Pedersen.

Andersen led Swindon Robins to Elite League glory in 2012, and on 28 January he eventually was able to ride for the Wiltshire side again in 2013 following a winter-long battle with parent club Peterborough. In 2016, he signed for Poole Pirates, and he was with them again in 2017.[10] He was with Leicester Lions in 2018 before riding with Peterborough in 2019.[10]

In July 2021, Anderson re-signed for the Leicester Lions in the Championship. In 2022, he rode for Peterborough again, in the SGB Premiership 2022 and for the Plymouth Gladiators in the SGB Championship 2022[11] and signed again for Peterborough for the 2023 season.[12] Unfortunately, his form dipped and Peterborough released him but shortly afterwards Berwick Bandits came in to sign him as an injury replacement.[13]

He announced his retirement on 30 January 2024.[14]

Major results

World individual Championship

World team Championships

Speedway Grand Prix results

Year Position Points Best Finish Notes
2002 40th 1 23rd 1 ride only as a wild card
2003 17th 41 8th (twice)
2004 9th 80 Winner Won Scandinavian GP
2005 12th 64 4th
2006 6th 101 Winner (twice) Won as a wild card and then and won another Grand Prix after replacing Tony Rickardsson as a full time rider after his retirement during the season.
2007 5th 107 Second
2008 5th 140 Winner Won in Italy, runner up at Czech, Scandinavian and German GP. Third in Slovenia.
2007 Speedway Grand Prix Final Championship standings
(Riding No 6)
Race no. Grand Prix Pos. Pts. Heats Draw No
1 /11 Italy Italian SGP 7 9 (2,1,1,2,3) +0 1
2 /11 Europe European SGP 2 13 (0,3,1,0,2) +3 +2 8
3 /11 Sweden Swedish SGP 2 20 (3,2,3,3,2) +3 +2 5
4 /11 Denmark Danish SGP 5 12 (3,3,1,2,3) +E 9
5 /11 United Kingdom British SGP 5 13 (3,3,3,2,1) +1 2
6 /11 Czech Republic Czech Rep. SGP 9 8 (2,1,2,2,1) 16
7 /11 Sweden Scandinavian SGP 4 12 (3,1,1,3,2) +2 +0 8
8 /11 Latvia Latvian SGP 12 5 (X,3,2,X,E) 10
9 /11 Poland Polish SGP 16 3 (2,X,0,1,0) 4
10 /11 Slovenia Slovenian SGP 15 3 (1,0,F,2,E) 7
11 /11 Germany German SGP 7 9 (3,2,3,0,1) +X 6
2008 Speedway Grand Prix Final Championship standings
(Riding No 5)
Race no. Grand Prix Pos. Pts. Heats Draw No
1 /11 Slovenia Slovenian SGP 3 14 (0,3,3,2,2) +2 +2 15
2 /11 Europe European SGP 10 6 (0,1,3,1,1) 12
3 /11 Sweden Swedish SGP 8 8 (1,3,3,f,0) 8
4 /11 Denmark Danish SGP 4 11 (3,1,2,3,0) +2 +0 6
5 /11 United Kingdom British SGP 7 9 (0,3,1,1,3) 14
6 /11 Czech Republic Czech Rep. SGP 2 16 (2,3,1,1,2) +3 +2 13
7 /11 Sweden Scandinavian SGP 2 20 (3,3,3,3,1) +3 +2 2
8 /11 Latvia Latvian SGP 10 7 (1,2,0,3,1) 14
9 /11 Poland Polish SGP 5 10 (1,2,3,2,1) +1 1
10 /11 Italy Italian SGP 1 21 (3,2,3,2,2) +3 +6 16
11 /11 Germany German SGP 2 17 (2,2,2,3,1) +3 +4 5
  permanent speedway rider
  wild card, track reserve or qualified reserve
  rider not classified (track reserve who did not start)

See also

References

  1. ^ Świat Żużla, No 2 (78) 2009, page 11, ISSN 1429-3285
  2. ^ Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
  3. ^ "Hans Andersen". Polish Speedway Database. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Hans Norgaard Andersen". British Speedway. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  5. ^ "1999". Speedway.org. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  6. ^ Bamford, R.(2007). Speedway Yearbook 2007. ISBN 978-0-7524-4250-1
  7. ^ "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Panthers hero Hans is sent to Coventry". Evening Telegraph. 31 July 2008. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
  9. ^ "Bees duo team up for glory". Coventry Telegraph. 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
  10. ^ a b "RIDERS - A - British Speedway Official Website". www.speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  11. ^ "British Speedway rider profile". British Speedway. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Hans back with Panthers". British Speedway. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Two in for Bandits". British Speedway. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Hans calls it a day". British Speedway. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
2011 Speedway Grand Prix riders
1 Poland Gollob 2 Poland Hampel 3 Australia Crump 4 Poland Holta 5 United States Hancock
6 United Kingdom Harris 7 Denmark Bjerre 8 Australia Holder 9 Sweden Jonsson 10 Denmark Pedersen
11 Sweden Lindgren 12 Russia Sayfutdinov 13 Russia Laguta 14 Sweden Lindbäck 15 Poland Kołodziej