BELLE Vue skipper Brady Kurtz had to settle for third place overall in the 2026 World Championship after a tense title decider in Torun.
Kurtz finished second in the final GP of the season, but it wasn’t enough to halt the charge of Robert Lambert who kept up his incredible momentum by winning the meeting to take the crown.
Outgoing champion Bartosz Zmarzlik completed the podium finishers with Lambert – who rode for the Aces during their successful 2022 play-off campaign – defeating the Pole by two points overall.
Kurtz was a further three points back as top three were covered by just five points, with a consistent campaign seeing him win one round at Manchester along with three second places and two thirds.
Whilst satisfied with another medal, Kurtz admits he wants more performance in the vital Finals, especially having shown his capabilities with his incredible run of five straight GP wins last season.
Kurtz said: “Obviously I am happy with the season as a whole. The most important thing for me was to try and back up last year – not just have one good season and then go missing.
“I’m really happy to say I have two medals in two years and congratulations to Robert. He definitely deserved the gold. He did come on at the end of the year, and I didn’t really have any answers for him.
“I have a little bit of hard work to do in the winter to try and make some improvements, come back again next year, and then we’ll go at it again.
“My team was fantastic all year. They did everything they possibly could to give me the best chance. I just under-performed a few times in the final and that’s all that made a difference really.”
Meanwhile Jason Doyle bowed out of the GP series, at least for the time being, having finished ninth overall this year on 73 points.
Elsewhere, ATPI Aces Rising Star Will Cairns led Great Britain to a bronze medal finish in the European Under-19 Pairs Final at Pocking.
With Poland and Denmark taking the first two places, Cairns – backed up by Cooper Rushen and Luke Harrison – top scored for GB with 12 points and then defeated the hosts’ Patrick Hyjek in a run-off for third after a tie with Germany.