all kicks off tomorrow, guy martins opinion, as the usual nay-sayers condem the TT.
"The TT is dangerous, of course it is, but that's the reason I do it. People are killed every year, but no-one's making them do it are they?"
Meet Guy Martin, ..... one of the fastest motorcycle road racers in the world.
Over the next fortnight, Martin will be joined by more than 200 men and women competing in the Isle of Man TT races, racing at an average speed of over 130mph - and topping 200mph at times - on closed public roads, with the best covering the 37.7-mile lap in under 18 minutes.
That's the equivalent of driving from Leeds to Sheffield in less than 20 minutes, on winding A-roads lined by stone walls and houses, while climbing a mountain in the middle.
The risks are obvious. But what if that danger is what attracts some people to the sport?
Martin, 30, told BBC Sport: "Short circuit racing is full of health and safety but the reason I ride a motorbike is because of the danger and there is no place more dangerous than the TT. I like pushing myself.
"I don't like routines, I like to be challenged and nothing beats the buzz of going round here."
"It is a right dangerous place and if you keep going back the chances are it will catch up with you," he said.
"When I win a TT, I will pack it in and find another challenge. Life is all about setting yourself goals and then achieving them.
"The TT taxes your mind.
"Don't let your mind wander - if it does then usually you're dead. A split-second lapse in concentration and you can clip a kerb - dead."
During the Senior TT of 2010 Martin crashed his Honda at over 170mph, hitting a stone wall and destroying his bike in a huge fireball.
He should have been killed.
"I was injured but it wasn't bad - I broke eight ribs, punctured my lungs and broke my back in a few places - but the worst thing was I had a week in hospital and then another week off work.
"If there was no reason for you crashing then it would play with your head, but I was pushing hard, I was pushing too hard. I wanted to win and if anything got me into trouble it was that will to win.
"But if that is the reason I crashed then I'd be happy to do it again."
"If you let the slightest bit of doubt creep into your mind then you'll be dead. I like stuff like that.
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he is a class rider, and he will either be king of the mountain, or have his ashes spread on it.
full interview here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motorsport/17192387
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Well behaved women do not make history
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