Mark Plummer talks injuries, ambitions and a lack of titles with King's Lynn man Kenneth Bjerre in his latest Friday Feature . . .
Could this finally be the year?
At the end of his 13th season in British racing, Kenneth Bjerre can capture title glory.
The Danish ace has been a standing dish since first touching down on British shale at Newcastle 2002. In fact he has made these shores his home, buying a house and raising his family here.
But his CV still lacks an entry as an Elite League winner. That could change in the coming weeks as injury ravaged King's Lynn bid to grab title glory.
The Stars will hope to make it third time lucky when they travel to Poole next Wednesday for the delayed second leg of their play-off semi-final showdown with Coventry lying in wait for the winners.
Bjerre would love to go one better than he has done on the continent in 2014. His Polish side Leszno and Swedish outfit Indianerna both finished as runners-up.
"I've got two silver medals and I would love a gold one to go with them," said Bjerre.
"Everyone seems to have written King's Lynn off just because we have had a few injuries, but we still believe we can win the league.
"It is a shame about what has happened with the two postponements this week, but there is no way the track was safe on Monday. It was frustrating to have another rain-off on Thursday, but we will be ready for next week.
"We've got three important guys out injured and I'm nowhere near being 100 per cent myself, but we want this title badly. I've gone far too long in the UK without winning the league."
Lynn are without talismanic number one Niels Kristian Iversen and both members of their impressive Fast Track reserve duo "“ Lewis Kerr and Lewis Rose "“ for the business end of the season.
Bjerre's own campaign has also been hampered by injury. He broke a collarbone in an early-May spill at the Norfolk Arena and then suffered a dislocated shoulder in a nasty Nordic SGP semi-final smash last month.
They are the latest in a long line of serious blows to have interrupted the 30 year-old's career, but his love for the sport remains.
"When you're laying on a track in pain you do have bad thoughts," he admitted. "You think "˜is this what I really want to do?'
"But I've never seriously considered giving up racing. I would not want to quit too soon and end up regretting it.
"Everyone wants a job that they enjoy and I have that. I've been riding for a long time but I'm still waiting for my luck to change.
"I'm sure I must get some good luck one day."
Bjerre has endured a difficult return to the World Championship stage this year. He lies second-bottom of the overall standings with his top-eight hopes having long since faded ahead of the seasonal climax at Torun tomorrow night.
But his desire to be the top dog in the sport remains and he will take inspiration from plenty of other riders in his own pursuit of glory.
He continued: "The GPs are tough physically and mentally, but I still believe I can be world champion one day.
"No-one expected Tai to win it last year out of the blue and the same with Chris Holder the year he did.
"You just need everything to click into place. People like Puk (Niels Kristian Iversen) and KK (Krzysztof Kasprzak) have shown in the last two years that they can become genuine challengers and I know I can do the same.
"I would love to receive a wildcard. I think I could have qualified from the GP Challenge again but injury cost me that chance.
"I've done well in that event before and also had good meetings at the track, but this year I was not in the condition to race.
"If I have to go away for a year again and work my way back through the qualifiers, then I will."
Bjerre won't finalise his league racing commitments for 2015 until discovering his GP fate.
He admits his workload became too hefty during the current campaign as he juggled his World Championship challenge around commitments in three major leagues.
"I took too much on and I could enjoy my racing," continued Bjerre.
"I got so tried and that is why I had to ask the Danish management not to consider me for the World Cup. I needed the time off to rest.
"Three leagues and the GP series is too much, but if I'm not in the GPs then I will look to keep racing in Britain, Sweden and Poland.
"The UK suits me and I'm 99 per cent sure I will be here again next year.
"There's the fact I live here and racing on all different types of tracks which keeps you sharp as a rider.
"I enjoy it at King's Lynn. The track is an hour from my house and it is a place I like."
And Bjerre is hopeful that his parent club Peterborough survives what looks set to be another difficult winter at the East of England Showground.
Current supremo Mick Horton has pulled out of his two-year leasehold deal with owners Rick Frost and Julie Mahoney whose business commitments prevent them from taking hands-on control again.
"I had a lot of good years at Peterborough," recalls Bjerre. "I loved riding for Rick and Julie, who are really good people.
"I always said I wanted to win the league for them, but we could never quite make it happen. I just hope the club can carry on because I don't think it will come back if it does disappear."
