TT 2019: 'Gutted' Adam McLean targets Mountain Course return at Classic TT

McLean suffered a string of injuries after crashing in the Supertwin race at the Tandragee 100 earlier this month, thwarting his prospects of competing at the first two major international road races of the season at the North West 200 and TT.

His injuries included a broken right arm, a broken left collarbone and shoulder blade, a fractured pelvis and a broken rib.

The 23-year-old from Tobermore had made an impressive start to the Irish national road racing season, winning the Supersport race at the Cookstown 100 last month. He was also running at the front in the Superbike, Supersport and Supertwin classes at Tandragee.

McLean posted the fastest lap of the weekend on his McAdoo Kawasaki ZX-10RR as he finished third in the Open Superbike race, but he was quickly brought back down to earth when he crashed out of second place on the final lap of the Supertwin race.

He is now doing all he can to aid his recovery and McLean has made the trip to the Isle of Man to watch the TT as a somewhat frustrated spectator, although he is targeting a return at the Ulster Grand Prix in August and hopes to be fit enough to race at the Classic TT.

“I’ve got itchy feet! I got here on Sunday and watched the first practice and I was gutted to see everybody else out on track and I wasn’t,” McLean told the News Letter.

“But I’m just going to try and enjoy it from a spectator’s point of view and go and sit on the hedge with my radio and enjoy it.

“Each night I’ve been going to watch the practice at parts of the course that I have found difficult myself, or where I’ve lacked a bit of pace, just to try and see where I can try and learn from the other riders by watching them go through.

“I was at Cronk ny Mona the other night because I’ve always found it difficult to get a nice line through there, so I went there to watch and I saw riders who had a nice smooth line through it, so I’m just trying to learn something while I’m here.”

McLean has been undergoing laser treatment and physiotherapy on the island and says the prospect of being back in action later this year is giving him plenty of motivation.

“Big thanks to Robbie Silvester because he has helped me out to get laser treatment to speed up the healing process and Scott Physiotherapy here in the paddock are spending an hour a day with me to try and get me mobile again, so that is all aiding my recovery,” he said.

“It’s probably more positive being here rather than sitting there at home.

“I’ve a lot to look forward to towards the end of the year and a lot to motivate me as well. I’m doing what I can and obviously my arm is in a fairly bad way, but it’s quite early days and we’ll just have to wait and see.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me since my accident because I’ve had so much support from friends, family and supporters and it really means a lot to me.”

McLean also paid tribute to the Cookstown-based McAdoo Racing team and the staff who looked after him at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast in the aftermath of his accident.

“The McAdoo Racing team has been phenomenal and it’s times like this when you realise how good a team they are and the people around me, who have really stood by me and they’ve been a massive help,” he said.

“The bikes are sitting waiting for me and there are no other riders getting onto them so I can’t thank the team enough.

“The staff in the hospital were fantastic too and I couldn’t have been looked after better. The surgeon who looked after me, Mr. Diamond, did a really good job and fixed me up well so thanks to all the medical staff at the hospital – I really appreciate everything that was done for me.”