FORMER Swindon Robins skipper Jason Doyle claimed his maiden International Individual Ekstraliga Championship title last weekend.

The Ekstraliga title is Poland’s equivalent of the British Final and saw world-class riders such as Bartosz Zmarzlik, Nicki Pedersen, and Great Britain’s Tai Woffinden take part in Torun.

Doyle - a former Torun rider - used all his Motoarena expertise as he hunted down in-form Leszno rider Janusz Kolodziej in the final, overhauling the Pole going into lap four to top the podium.

The 35-year-old’s victory means he has now won one world title, one Australian title, one British League Riders’ title, and three Czech Golden Helmets in a glittering individual career.

Last year’s Individual Ekstraliga winner Zmarzlik finished third while triple world champion Pedersen took fourth spot after being excluded from the final following a collision with Kolodziej in turn two.

Zmarzlik topped the heat score-chart on 12 points to gain automatic qualification for the final, with Doyle qualifying in second – pipping Danish racer Mikkel Michelsen on countback after they tied on 11.

Kolodziej made the semi-finals on eight points, but triumphed over Michelsen, Jack Holder and Pawel Przedpelski to take his place in the final four.

Pedersen also made the final the hard way after qualifying for semi-final two on eight, before winning it ahead of Artem Laguta, Jakub Miskowiak and Emil Sayfutdinov.

SGP star Laguta and Czestochowa shooting star Miskowiak both tallied 10 in the heats, while Przedpelski, Sayfutdinov and Holder qualified on nine. Slovak star Martin Vaculik fell short of the semis on six.

But it was a tough night for injury-hit SGP trio Woffinden, Leon Madsen and Maciej Janowski.

Janowski was unable to compete in the Torun event following his fall in Sweden on Thursday, which left him with an injury to his left hand.

Meanwhile, his Wroclaw team mate Woffinden withdrew after three rides, having only scored three points. He was reportedly still feeling the impact of a fall in training on Thursday as he continues his return from a recent shoulder injury.

Madsen finished fourth in his opening race and withdrew from the contest as he is still suffering with a knee injury sustained in a crash at the Speedway European Championship round he won in Bydgoszcz last week.