FIVE-times World champion Tony Rickardsson believes Poole's Antonio Lindback is the best 19-year-old rider he has ever come across in speedway.

Rickardsson, the 33-year-old who has dominated the sport for the past decade or more, said of his young Swedish international team-mate: "Antonio can get a bit over excited at times.

"But I was the same when I was young and it is only good. When he calms down and finds the right level, he will be great.

"For me he is the most talented rider I have seen at 19. I have never met a rider at such an age who has such a good back up.

"He has such a good family that supports him like they do. I have never seen a rider with his potential.

"If you look at the whole package, he is the best I have seen on two wheels at that age.

"Antonio has a great future in the sport. He has the body physically, he has great bikes and mechanical support.

"He has everything in place to be successful. I am trying to keep my weight down, but I am still 10-12 kilos heavier than him. He is the best riding weight."

Rickardsson, who rode with Lindback for Pirates last year and in the same Masarna outfit in Sweden, added: "I see in Antonio the likes of Kelly and Shaun Moran.

"But they never had the bikes and people around them to put it all together."

Rickardsson rarely talks up a rival rider, after all speedway racers are all rivals to each other on an individual basis when it comes down to the World Championship Grand Prix series.

So Lindback, who lines up in the GP Final of the qualifiers for next year's series in Vojens, Denmark, tonight, should take careful note of Rickardsson's remarks.

The Brazilian-born teenager may be special on a speedway bike - a natural.

But he must still, however, continue to work hard on his development in the sport and no-one is more aware of that than him.

The Rio Rocket, his birthplace is Rio de Janeiro, continues his progress in tonight's meeting, where he is battling to secure a top two place to automatically qualify for next year's GP series.

It is a tall order, as Lindback acknowledges, especially as the neutralised Swede has never ridden at Vojens before.

He has, however, just won the World Team Cup with Sweden alongside Rickardsson at Poole and will go into the Vojens meeting on a high.

Lindback will also be one of the favourites to win the meeting, along with Peter Karlsson (Sweden), Sebastian Ulamek (Poland), David Norris (Great Britain), Hans Andersen (Denmark) and Marcin Rempala (Poland).

Full line up for World Championship Grand Prix final at Vojens, Denmark: 1 Ronni Pedersen (Denmark), 2 David Norris (Great Britain), 3 Stefan Andersson (Sweden), 4 Hans Andersen (Denmark), 5 Tomasz Chrzanowski (Poland), 6 Marcin Rempala (Poland), 7 Peter Karlsson (Sweden), 8 Damian Balinski (Poland), 9 Craig Watson (Australia), 10 Kenneth Bjerre (Denmark), 11 Bo Brhel (Czech Republic), 12 Wieslaw Jagus (Poland), 13 Roman Povazhny (Russia), 14 Sebastian Ulamek (Poland), 15 Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark), 16 Antonio Lindback (Sweden). Reserves: Stuart Robson (Great Britain), Niklas Klingberg (Sweden).