What's up with Keno?

Red Bull KTM factory rider Ken De Dycker hasn’t had the best of times in 2014. After a wrist injury in the off-season the Belgian rider had an operation and hoped that everything would turn out okay. Now more than six months later he still struggles with the wrist and will have another operation when the season is over.

Cruising around for very few points isn’t what the fans are used to, but there is little De Dycker can do as his wrist begins to hurt and he struggled with the little movement he has because of the injury.

We caught up with De Dycker and asked him about the problem and also what his plans are for 2015.

Q: Ken, you really don’t seem yourself at the races this year. How is the wrist? Is it 100%?

De Dycker: No, it still isn’t 100% and I still have trouble after a few laps and that hasn’t changed. My arm and shoulder got stronger, but my wrist is still a problem.

Q: Somebody told me they heard it will never improve enough to race at the highest level. What have the doctors told you?

De Dycker: You never know, hopefully it’s just the plate pushing on the nerves of the fingers. Also I only have 45 degree movement in the wrist, but I hope that that improves when the plate is taken out.

Q: When will you have the operation to take the plate out?

De Dycker: The doctors said in October, so after the season, and then I want to ride as quickly as possible and see if the problem is gone.

Q: This has to be your worst season ever?

De Dycker: I had a broken collarbone and a wrist problem one season, but that was gone in two months, this problem has lasted the whole season, so for sure this is my worse injury ever.

Q: Are the doctors surprised it is still not improving?

De Dycker: The doctor said when he did the surgery that it would be okay, and it was all good and it wouldn’t affect me and he didn’t know what was going on, because I went back to check my nerves or something else, it isn’t normal that I have a problem, so I hope it’s the plate. I went to another doctor and he said the plate is maybe pushing on something.

Q: What is your plan for the remainder of the season?

De Dycker: I will do the last four GP’s and the Belgian races in between, but after the last GP I will go straight into the hospital and then get working again for 2015 and hope everything is ok.

Q: Are you signed for 2015 with KTM?

De Dycker: I have another year on my contract with KTM, so it will be nice to stay in the same team.