This fireball below is the result of the crash that Guy survived. Not much left of the bike, which was doing around 150 mph when it occurred, but he let go of it quick enough and was wearing an air-bag suit. He spent quite a while in hospital with multiple injuries but was very lucky to survive.
Meantime here is a film of a run he did in 2007 on the Isle of Man TT circuit (sometimes called the Moutain circuit), commented by the man himself with plenty of tips on how to tackle the tricky bits. And when he says "clip the border", you would better believe him!
Another word of warning: when he says let the throttle go, he usually means, I think, turn it hard on. And for those who do not live in the UK, Guy has a pronouced northern accent and speaks very fast: he needs to speak damn fast in order to keep up with his riding speeds! And remember that in this film you are travelling at average speeds of around 130 mph (209 kph) on ordinary small roads, which makes for top speeds of over 200 mph.
And now there is also the film, Closer to the Edge, that has been made about the TT, starring all the usual suspects and especially Guy Martin. Here is the piece that I have written about it, but get the DVD on all accounts!
A jolly good idea, baggy trousers on a racer : a tumble can seriously damage your health !
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, this bonfire might easily have transformed Guy Martin – once a saucy little bagage, I’ve been told – into an (air-)baggy little sausage.
Montjuïc, another race track, another cause for not wanting a BBQ
ReplyDeleteThe French Catalans are furious: they won’t be authorized to barbecue around Montjuïc stadium – once a motor sport track as well - next week-end, prior to playing against Toulon in rugby’s Europa Cup quarter-final.
And why would they?
The main argument in favour of the “Drakes” continuing to play in England is the large amount of British supporters flying to Perpignan every two weeks and spending a good 80 € a day in the local bars and pubs. Barcelona’s stadium, with its pretty urban surroundings, garden and parks, is a lovely and tidy place.
Why would the French aficionados want to create havoc FOR FREE in Spain, but encourage massive and canalized spending of dosh in their own country when foreign visitors are expected?