Klima returns to Gladiators as Thomsen also signs with club

PLYMOUTH Gladiators have continued their team building for the summer of 2026 with young talent Daniel Klima returning to the Coliseum.

- By STUART JAMES

Czech rider Daniel Klima is returning to Plymouth Gladiators in 2026

(NURPHOTO)

The 23-year-old Czech rider, who turns 24 on December 30, initially signed for the club as a replacement for homegrown reserve Ben Trigger towards the end of the 2025 season, but after just one meeting, he suffered an unfortunate crash whilst riding in Germany, which left him with a broken ankle.

However, the Gladiators had high hopes for the former European Under-19 Championship bronze medallist and European Under-23 Team Championship silver medallist then - and they clearly still do - by adding him to their roster for what is shaping up to be a fascinating new season.

"Daniel made an immediate and positive impression when he arrived at Plymouth for his debut," promoter Mark Phillips said. "On a track much smaller than he is used to, he rode very impressively with virtually no practice. He backed this up both at home and away, showing impressive speed on some of the bigger UK tracks. His injury was a real blow for us at the time.