Image: Octopi Media.

Opting to undergo surgery for a troublesome ulnar nerve in his right arm will sideline Adam Cianciarulo for the remainder of the 2021 season.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider announced the awaited decision today and underwent the season-ending procedure this morning.

Cianciarulo was hoping a nerve decompression procedure in December would solve the problem he began experiencing in 2019 and managed through 2020, however, it didn’t solve his issues completely and a gradual loss of strength on the bike has proven impossible to ride through in 2021.

“I’ve been dealing with an ulnar nerve issue for the past couple of years,” he explained. “Randomly, I started having problems with it at the end of 2019. In 2020 it was mostly manageable and I really thought it was just arm-pump.

“However, it continued to get worse this past off-season to the point where I couldn’t do more than a few laps at a time. After a lot of tests and scans, I had nerve decompression procedure right before SX ’21. I’ve experienced minor relief from that, but not enough to be myself out there.

“I lose what feels like most of the strength in my right hand gradually as I’m riding. I’ve tried to be smart and do my best, but at this point the only logical decision is to get it fixed. It’s a relatively simple procedure, but it will put me out for the rest of this season.

“This has been difficult, mentally and physically. It’s driven me mad a few times if I’m honest. I’ve learned a lot about focusing on the things you can control and not getting lost worrying about the things you can’t. Ultimately, I’m always grateful for my challenges and the things they teach me.

“Surgery is this morning and I’m happy to get it sorted so I can continue going after my goals and get back to having fun on my dirt bike – I’ll be back and better. Thank you for your continued support.”

Cianciarulo had said following Southwick that he was intending on getting his arm fixed this coming off-season, until a crash in the first moto at Millville saw him not return for moto two and ultimately put an end to his year altogether.