Crash 'has taken a long time to get over' - Rutter

Michael Rutter has said that physically and mentally it has taken him "a long time to get over" the after-effects of his crash at the Isle of Man TT last year.

Speaking on The BBC Bikes Podcast, the veteran Midlands rider explained that the extensive injuries he sustained had been the worst of his career so far but he was aiming to return to competitive track action at this year's North West 200 in May.

The 54-year-old crashed at the 31st milestone on the final lap of the second Supertwins race at last year's TT and subsequently underwent surgery and a lengthy period of rehabilitation.

"I broke my L2, smashed it into four pieces. I was very lucky I didn't do more damage, and I broke the bottom of my leg, my foot, my wrist, it knocked me about, and knocked me mentally wise. It's taken me a long time to get over," explained Rutter.

"I'm still in a bad way with it but I am getting better. I've got a long way to go yet but I want to try and get out and race at the North West and that's my aim."

The 14-time North West 200 winner acknowledged that the incident was his own fault and it has given him a greater appreciation for riders who have bounced back from injury to race successfully again.

"It was my own fault, the crash. The thing ran out of fuel and it caught me out. I was just looking behind me, didn't want to get in anyone's way and I just ran off the edge of the track. It was my own stupid fault.

"I'd never had a big crash like that and it made me admire even more riders who have come back from big crashes and injuries like Ian Hutchinson, John McGuinness, Robert Dunlop and my dad. It makes you say, 'I tell you what, fair play to those people, they came back and did well'."

"I've been lucky throughout my career, I've got away with relatively low injuries, my dad taught me to leave a bit of space here and a bit of space there, but it caught up with me."

Rutter is the third most successful rider in the history of the North West 200 and made history in 2004 when he became the first rider to be officially clocked at 200mph or above on a section of the circuit.

"Doing that 201mph. I had that factory Honda, I was very lucky to have that, it was miles quicker than anything else out there," he explained.

"The aim was really keep myself going and interested in doing over 200mph. I'd asked my pit-board to tell me when I got it, but I knew already as it must have been announced and the next lap it came up on my pit-board saying I'd done 201.1.

"I think it was the second lap. I got a real good run through Station Corner, the bike was flying, the tyres were so grippy. You need that to do over 200mph.

"All the crowd were going mad and it was like wow, this is massive, a real big buzz. It's amazing how many people still remember it and come up and say to me."