Rapido Sport Ducati's Lee Johnston has been forced to pull out of the big bike classes at this year's Isle of Man TT as he believes his recently-broken leg is not yet strong enough for the demands of Mona's Isle.
The youngster, who managed a podium in the shortened North West 200 second Supersport race, injured the leg in a big crash at Thruxton's British Superbike round and he thinks it is not safe to race on the Island until it is 100 per cent recovered.
“We must put safety first. The TT races are so much more physical than the NW200, fast changes of direction, high speeds and the races themselves are considerable longer. The 1200cc Ducati Superbike isn’t a touring bike and every rider needs top fitness to ride this event. Any distraction from pain or discomfort would be an unnecessary risk. 100 per cent concentration is required at the world famous TT," said team boss Patrick Murray.
Johnston will ride in some of the smaller bike classes in order to increase his knowledge of the circuit.
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