A rider who was seriously injured in the 2017 Manx Grand Prix is planning a return to the Mountain Course this summer.

24-year-old Royce Rowe, from Adelaide, was lying second after the first lap of the Junior race when he crashed at Union Mills, bringing down a telegraph pole and causing the race to be red-flagged.

Royce broke both legs and his wrist in the accident. After treatment in the UK, Royce then spent three months recuperating in the Isle of Man before he was well enough to fly back to Australia. His recovery has been remarkable and he was back out on his race bike just seven months later.

His father, Les, said:

His first ride back home in Australia was on the Ducati that had been entered in the Manx. This was at a meeting at Mount Gambier (about 270 miles south east of Adelaide). The idea was to just get back on the bike and slowly get comfortable again both physically and mentally.

This lasted about two laps into qualifying until he was passed by someone, and he then proceeded to take pole position and win seven of his eight races over the weekend, his lap times were less than half a second off his own lap record.

He has continued to race during 2018 on both the 650 Ducati and a new 675R Triumph (the old one was totally written off) at tracks in south eastern Australia including Tailem Bend, Mallala, Mount Gambier and Phillip Island, scoring many wins and podium placings.

His lap times at each track are now faster than before the accident, even with interruptions for two further operations to gradually remove all the metal rods, screws and plates from both legs.

He will be bringing the Ducati 650 for the Lightweight races and the Triumph for the Junior and Senior races.

Royce told the MMCC:

'I am really looking forward to it and my fitness is improving all the time thanks to the care and support that I had in Liverpool and the Isle of Man.'

Both Royce and Les were keen to thank the Hogg Rescue volunteers, Rex Physio, the Joey Dunlop Foundation, the Manx Grand Prix Supporters' Club and everyone else who helped him after his accident.

Photo Credit: Nick Wheeler