Lasse Fredriksen ready to hit the ground running for Edinburgh Monarchs at long last

Lasse Fredriksen will get his chance to ride for Monarchs at last

It's been two years in the making but Lasse Fredriksen is now just three weeks away from making his Edinburgh Monarchs debut.

The 24-year-old Norwegian set off from his Varhaug home yesterday as he prepares for his maiden season in British speedway.

Fredriksen was initially included in the Monarchs' 2020 septet before Covid put paid to that. And then a last-minute rule change prevented the Scandinavian from taking his seat in the saddle last year.

However, he isn't one to dwell on the past and is now very much looking forward to meeting his new team-mates – in person – at Armadale on Friday for the club's press and practice day. The Monarchs, led again by skipper Sam Masters, begin their Championship campaign at home to the Berwick Bandits on April 15.

Speaking exclusively to the Edinburgh Evening News, Fredriksen said: “It's been such a long wait. I've been itching to come to the UK for years now so I can't wait to get going. I've been hanging about for two years for this opportunity so it's great it's finally here.

“I'm looking forward to putting in some laps at Armadale next week and getting to know the track. If you can get to know the track, then it's the perfect setup for a home rider.

“I've only been to Armadale and Glasgow so I don't know what any of the other tracks are like in the UK. I just need to get my confidence up at Armadale first and then take things from there. I'll be looking to hit the ground running from the start and then get better and better every meeting."

Fredriksen revealed he did some racing with 2021 Monarch of the year, Kye Thomson, in Denmark a few years ago and says he is inspired by the Australian's progression.

“I know Kye as we did some riding together but the other guys I don't know personally," he explained. "I've been following the Monarchs for the last couple of seasons and it's the same core with Sam and Josh (Pickering) – and everyone seems to get along which helps. I can't wait to meet them properly now.

“I've watched Sam a lot on TV as you can watch British speedway in Norway so I definitely think I can learn a lot from him. But I think Kye really set the standards last season for what he managed to achieve in his first year. I was really impressed with how he fared so he's set the bar for the likes of myself and Jacob Hook. If we can achieve something similar, then who knows how far we can go."

And what about his first taste of a Scottish derby against arch-rivals the Glasgow Tigers on the horizon?

“I spoke to a few guys when I rode in the Grand Prix qualifier at Glasgow and I really got the impression that the meetings between Edinburgh and Glasgow is really something special," Fredriksen said. "I can't wait to be a part of that so it's definitely one of the most things I'm looking forward to.

“I want to be as fit as possible and in the best shape for the season, both physically and mentally. We have snow in Norway over the winter so getting on the speedway bike is almost impossible.

“I play football, I have a motocross bike and do a lot of running so that's kept me going."