TT3D: Closer to the Edge Page #4

Well, I've worn these leathers

for 27 years now,

and at least 27 years more

I will bring the leathers to the TT.

My name is Karen Anderson,

and I've come all the way from Australia

to watch Cameron Donald race the TT.

We've sat above here,

in a room on the balcony,

and we've watched the guys

coming around that corner,

and there was a lamppost there.

And the lamppost was padded, and

they would come round, dipping,

and then they'd do that in and out,

to get round the lamppost

And that to me was heart

in my mouth, heart in my mouth,

heart in my mouth, brilliant.

Yeah, I know what can happen.

But with her on the back,

you won't get too quick,

else you get beat up.

It's a very hairy place. Very fast.

To watch the bravest men in the world.

And if it doesn't excite you,

you're not alive.

And that's a fact.

Within hours of arriving,

Guy is unhappy

with the bike 's suspension.

In particular the swinging arm

because of its importance

for a fast wheel change.

Wilson. Can we put

the other swinging arm in

and get Simon to change the wheel?

It's sh*t.

And it's gonna go wrong.

If the bike was given to me

in the first place, Wilson,

then we wouldn't be

going through this problem.

And I did say this in the first place.

Guy has upset

the authorities, too,

because of his plans to work

on the bikes away from the paddock.

I was expecting

there to be tension,

because that's why I stayed out the way.

I've got the airbed that goes

in the back of my van,

and I've just been staying in my van.

When it comes to how

I want bikes preparing,

if they aren't right, that's it,

I'/I just pack in and go home.

I won't stick my neck out if things

aren't exactly how I want,

and I'm so meticulous with things.

We're gonna meet in the middle,

we're gonna have to meet

in the middle, aren't we?

I can't have it all my way, can I?

Because Wilson's bought the bikes,

and put a lot of money into the bikes.

But I'm the one

risking me neck out there,

and that's why my head

needs to be right.

And Wilson's always said to me

from the off

that my head needs to be right,

and then to get my head right

it needs to be my way, which is doing

bikes with no interruptions.

Yeah, I think we're gonna have to meet

in the middle, me and Wilson.

The bikes will have to be

back here at a certain time,

and then I have to do certain bits

of nodding and smiling

and agreeing with people.

There's a contract.

The team gets X number of pounds,

so they expect Guy to be professional.

And Guy sometimes makes statements

that they don't like.

People like him. Maybe because

there's a bit of a rebel about him

and so on. So, we have to... We just

have to make do with what we have.

If I dictated to Guy it wouldn't work.

He's just a mechanic,

who is a brilliant ride;

a brilliant motorcyclist

The bikes are ready to race,

but he has to have

his touch to the bikes.

He knows I have given him

everything he has asked for.

So, it has to work this time.

And the bike will be checked

and checked again for anything.

And then you're in the lap of the gods.

What's after the corner

makes a massive difference.

If you get this corner right

and make a proper job of it,

then you can make 10 seconds up,

because you don't brake

or let go of the throttle

for the next three miles.

But it's a man's come;

get it wrong and you're....

Ballascary

Ballagarey. Did you see the sign there?

But, yeah, get it wrong

and it's gonna hurt.

But you don't think

about things like that, do you?

If you wanna fast lap out, you've got to

throw your balls to the wall,

as it's said.

After a bright start today,

it will turn cloudy later this morning,

then, although staying mostly dry

this afternoon,

there could be

patchy light drizzle possible...

All right, boss? Good man.

I think Guy Martin's

real rivals this year

will be manyfold.

Cameron Donald has always been a threat.

He's a bit highly-strung.

But he's fast. Really fast.

Conor Cummins

is gonna be a big threat.

Conor Cummins,

Local Manxman. He's Ht. He's young.

Ryan Farquhar

has gone ahead of Joey Dunlop

in national wins in Ireland

and he's phenomenal.

The Dunlops

are coming strong,

Michael 'S really aggressive,

and got that will to win-

Defniitely wouldn't want to

get in a ring with him, anyway.

Keith Amor again, he's like

a dog on a lead, you know?

He's just chomping at that bit

to go fast and win.

You never know

what Bruce you're gonna get.

If Bruce wakes up in the morning

and decides he wants to beat us all,

he 'll probably go beat us all.

You never

bet against John McGuinness

he's the man at the minute.

He's the man

with the results on the board.

He's the man that when you go quickly,

he usually raises the bar

and goes a bit quicker again.

Nobody knows

how fast John can go.

Nobody has actually

taken John to that next level.

You never

underestimate anyone.

Someone could come out from the woodwork

that you just didn't really expect

and shock you.

I don't know much

about Hutchinson, to be truthful.

He's one of the quiet men in the sport.

Just does the job, I think.

He reminds me a bit

of myself you know, 10 years ago.

He's absorbing everything,

understanding what it takes

to win at a big race now.

Guy, you know I think every man

and his dog in the world

wants flipping Guy Martin to win.

There 's no question he's gonna win one,

he's definitely got the talent,

but there 's some ingredient missing

at the moment,

and it just seems to find him.

It's gonna be the best man

that's gonna win on the day.

At the end of the day.

And nobody wants to win it

more than I do.

As speeds increase,

so do the dangers

and it was this that lost the T its world championship status.

But winning at the T requires more than just speed.

It relies on mechanical perfection,

supreme mental and physical endurance,

a huge dose of good fortune

and a very fast pit stop.

A tank of fuel and a set of tyres

will only last two

of the four or six laps required.

Pit stops count

toward the overall lap time

and can make or break a rider's chances.

- Thirty-three.

- Bloody hell! Well done, lad.

But if we have one mistake,

it goes to 40.

The swinging arm

that's in the bike now isn't safe

to do a fast pit stop.

It just happens the bike I had

last year was sold to a bloke

on the Isle of Man, and I've begged

and pleaded with him

to see if we can borrow

the swinging arm back out of his bike,

to put back in my new bike

for this year

So he said,

"Pop up and nick it this afternoon."

And then we'll go up tomorrow morning

and put it back in the bike.

I could do with your help.

Guy's father has decided

not to come to the race this year

It's a bit of a hard pill

to take, really, me dad not coming.

You know, he's a good man

to have involved

because he's got

so much experience round here,

he's rode the TT for 15 years and

he knows exactly how things need to be.

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