“
I don’t think about the records when
I’m out there, I just get my head down
and concentrate on the job. What I do
remember is coming home over the
mountain on the last lap, controlling
the race lead - it was an incredible
day.
I’ve heard you labelled as a wasted
talent on the circuits by some of the
world’s leading riders, I guess it’s a
back-handed compliment. Do you
have any regrets about your career?
With the right opportunities could
you have been a Jonathan Rea in
WSBK for example?
I wouldn’t be doing it. I think it’s as
simple as that to be honest!
You are also a big speedway fan, so
is it anything with an engine or all
things two wheels that floats your
boat?
I enjoy being a fan up on the terraces
filling out my programme! Fortunately,
through my contacts and what I’ve
achieved, I’ve become quite pally with
some of the guys - Greg Holder, Darcy
[Ward] and Chris [Bomber] Harris. I
went and bought a speedway bike
because it looked that easy to do. I
ended up dislocating my shoulder
and turning myself upside down on
it a couple of times – it’s not as easy
as it looks! It’s tough but they make
it look so easy. It’s explosive and
action-packed. I used to go with my
dad to Belle Vue [Aces] – the old Hyde
Road stadium – and get cinders in
my face. It was amazing. Having said
that, I enjoy a lot of different types of
motorbike riding – I’ve done some MX
to train too – it all keeps you sharp.
“
Once the
TT gets
hold of
you, it
doesn’t let
go very
easily!
Once the
TT gets ”
hold of
you, it
doesn’t let
go very
easily!
Definitely no regrets. And in terms of
short circuit I have done both. There
aren’t many riders out there that have
won Grand Prix 500 points and won
a TT, which I have. In 2002 as well,
when I raced in World Supersport I
got some podium finishes, and won
TTs again. I do miss the short circuit
riding though. We have some fantastic
racetracks in the UK. Brands, Cadwell
– there are some iconic places and I
do miss racing around them.
If I had the opportunity I would. There
just isn’t anywhere right for me to slot
into BSB right now. If the new Honda
next year is competitive then I might
do a few Superstock races. We had a
really good go at World Endurance in
2011, ‘12, and ‘13. We finished fourth
in the world championship in 2012 –
just missed out on a medal by a point.
You are now 44 years old, do you
have a clear plan on how long you
will continue racing or will you just
keep at it while you are still fast and
enjoying it?
As you said: I’m 44 years old. I never
thought all those years ago when I
first launched down Bray Hill on my
little Honda 250 that I would be in
this position. It’s a dream come true
in many ways. We’ll see how the new
bike – the new Honda – goes next
year to be honest. I definitely want to
keep racing and keep enjoying it. The
bar is being raised every year, and
now my lap record is gone, I can’t let
it go. Once the TT gets hold of you, it
doesn’t let go very easily!
You are a proper anorak - your
motorcycling knowledge is
impressive - is it fair to say you are
ultimately a huge motorcycle racing
fan?
Hah, I don’t know about anorak, but
I do love it. Racing motorbikes has
been a huge part of my life – all my life
really. If I wasn’t in love with the sport,
I know you ride Enduro and MX to
train – but you’d said, and I quote,
“I’d rather stick a fork in my eye”
than go to the gym, run or cycle.
Is that still the case or do you find
that you’ve needed to increase your
fitness to keep up with the younger
guys coming through at the TT?
Yes, that’s just it isn’t it? You have to
train to stay fast, but I’ve never been
one to hit the gym like the other boys
do. The gym is quite a depressing
place – I much prefer to be out on
a bike than sweating away on a
treadmill in a room somewhere. The
problem is that you look in the mirror
at my age and don’t look like you
used to, but I still feel mentally very
strong – stronger than I ever have
been in many ways. Keeping your
weight in check is a big thing. I had
a bet with the bosses from Mugen
at the beginning of the year that if I
could lose 10kg, I could keep one of
their TT Zero bikes… it’s still ongoing!
It’s more important than ever to stay
race fit.
So is it your experience that keeps
you one step ahead of the rest?
How many years would you say it
takes to learn the TT course? Or is
it a constantly evolving process as
the speed increases year on year?
You le arn something new every year.
The course is so complex that you
can’t afford to stop learning. Every
time you come back there might be a
little bit of surface that has changed
. ................... ....................
or a little bit that’s been re-worked, so
it’s a never-ending process. It takes a
good few years to learn to ride around
here at the very least - and then you’re
not fast straight away.
It’s different for everyone. Some say
three years or five years - you’ve
got to treat it as an apprenticeship.
Whether it’s hanging on to the throttle
a little longer on the 600, or a couple
of little turning-in points I got from
following Hutchy [Ian Hutchinson] –
you always have to respect this place.
It’ll throw you a curve ball at any
minute. You can never afford to relax
or get complacent with this place –
the second that happens it’ll bite you!
You broke your wrist in an offroading accident prior to the 2014
TT and since then we haven’t
seen you ride as often on the BSB
scene in Superstock. Was that a
conscious decision or simply a
result of circumstances?
I played down the injuries but the
reality was that both my wrists were
in a right mess. When I looked down
just after the accident, one was
dislocated, both were swollen. While
the right one had the most damage,
the left was in a bad way too. I
genuinely thought my career was over.
Just getting to the start line at the TT
was like a win for me, but I knew I was
in trouble at the North West. It wasn’t
so much the pain that was a problem,
more the fact I was struggling with my
strength and fatigue.
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