Tuesday 15th May 2012, 12:54

Wroclaw racer Tomasz Jedrzejak admits “I cried at night” after being involved in Lee Richardson’s fateful race at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday.

Richardson had missed the start and home pair Freddie Lindgren and Jedrzejak rode side-by-side in a bid to keep the Rzeszow rider at the back in heat three.

But the Hastings-born man came to grief and was thrown into the back straight safety barrier.

Investigators in Wroclaw have revealed Richardson died of serious damage to his lungs and internal bleeding after taking a heavy blow to the abdomen.

Jedrzejak and his team continued with the meeting and it was not until half an hour after the action had concluded that news of Richardson’s passing reached the riders.

The Pole raced with Richardson at Vetlanda and also at Lakeside in 2009 and admits he was left shaken by the tragedy.

He told his official website: “I was in shock. I could not believe what I heard and indeed I still can’t. I cried at night; it makes me very sad. It's not fair! Lee was my friend.

“We ran together for four years in Vetlanda. He was open and always there to help. I spoke with him before the meeting.

“We’ve lost a member of our speedway family. My thoughts are now with his family. Lee, I will miss you!”

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