BOS Kawasaki rider Evgeny Bobryshev can’t take a break at the moment. After starting his pre-season preparation a month earlier than normal, the Russian rider crashed hard in Spain in January and has damaged his meniscus. With a sore wrist, he rode last weekend at the Hawkstone Park International and did complete the weekend, but it was with big hardships and not a lot of confidence of a quick recovery.

We caught up with Boby last night and he gave us the run-down on his weekend and injury.

MXarge: Boby, you had your first race on the weekend. How did it go for you?

Bobryshev: Yes, my first race for 2019, you are right. Difficult to say how I felt. I felt good to come and race, but I didn’t feel good myself, because of my injury on January 12. I injured my wrist and took four weeks off. So coming to Hawkstone Park, it was my third time on the bike since the injury. I was like, f*ck, because I needed one race before Argentina.

MXlarge: How did you hurt your wrist, I never heard anything about that?

Bobryshev: I came to Spain, January 9 and started riding. I had done three days riding and then went to Redsand and I went over the bars on the big table-top. I got a kicker on the take off and I jumped off the bike and landed heavy on my side and landed on my wrist. It was big impact, so I was hurting all over. I got a check-out, the bones are good the ligaments are good, but the meniscus is damaged from impact. I am struggling to be honest.

MXlarge: And Hawkstone is the last place you want to go with a sore wrist and not a lot of bike time.

Bobryshev: Yes, you are right. My goal was to take it easy, I just needed a racing day. I am not 100% and it was tough. My wrist was painful and I am back on recovery again.

MXlarge: How did your races go then?

Bobryshev: It was nothing special. I finished where I started. I didn’t pass anyone, nobody passed me. First race I was sixth, second race I was 11^th. The first race was difficult, physically, and for sure my wrist, but it didn’t give me any benefits, so I had to adapt my style to take pressure off the wrist. The third race I felt better and kept a consistent time and I was stronger, and that was good.

MXlarge: So what can you do now leading into Argentina?

Bobryshev: I saw the doctors today and my plan was to race in France, but we cancelled those plans. At the moment I do the training, physical training, and riding, I will do, but just steady. I don’t want to push in training, I just want to be on the bike, so my body remembers that. I then go to Argentina and I know it isn’t great, but that is what it is, and I try to make a plan for how I feel now.

MXlarge: I guess you are lucky that after Argentina there is a three week break before Matterley, or do you have some national championship race between round one and round two?

Bobryshev: I had planned to do a round of the Dutch championship, I think that is between those two races. If I feel okay, I will do that, but otherwise I just want to recover.

MXlarge: Then hopefully maybe not bike fit, but your wrist will be okay for Matterley?

Bobryshev: Yes, you are right. My goal, my priority is to heal my wrist, because it bothers me a lot at the moment.

MXlarge: How did you feel before the accident, on the new bike and everything?

Bobryshev: Oh man, I was feeling really good. You know I had changed my training, and usually I start in November, but this year I started in October, so I had been on a hard program, and feeling really good. I was on a special diet, and my endurance improved, I lost weight, and then unfortunately I had planned to spend a complete month in Spain, with perfect riding, but then this crash happened and I have just been traveling to the hospital every week.

MXlarge: How does the bike feel, is it better than 2018?

Bobryshev: To be honest, we are a bit late with the engine. We improved the suspension and I am happy with that, if you compare it to the same month to last year. I am also happy with Kawasaki, just the last thing is we miss the engine.

MXLarge: When do you get the race engine?

Bobryshev: End of this week we get one engine. We work with Paulo Martin now, so we try the engine this weekend and see how it is, but until now the engine we have is okay, slightly better, but for the GP we need a better modification. The team is working on it, and unfortunately is it taking too much time.

MXlarge: Well, I hope you feel better quickly and feel good for Argentina.

Bobryshev: I hope too (sounding doubtful)

MXlarge: Is it possible this injury could be long term thing?

Bobryshev: The doctor told me, first of all, he gave me injections and said go on the bike after 10 days and if it still hurts, you need an operation. At the moment I have pain, and if it isn’t better within the next six weeks, I will need an operation. It is shit, and a shame, I can miss a lot. I stay positive and hope everything will be fine and when I am healthy I am back on the gas.