Ian Hutchinson says the end of April will be the ‘cut-off point’ as the Honda Racing rider clings to the hope that he will be able to compete this season. 

Hutchinson hasn’t raced since his crash in the Senior TT last year, when he fractured his left femur and had to have his left ankle removed as a result of the 130mph spill at the 27th Milestone. 

The Yorkshire rider has been a frustrated onlooker while team-mate Lee Johnston has led the team’s testing programme throughout the winter. 

Hutchy was again present at Castle Combe this week as Fermanagh man Johnston and Steve Mercer participated in the latest test on the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2. 

However, the 16-time TT winner hasn’t yet thrown in the towel and is keeping his fingers crossed that the external fixator will be removed from his leg before the end of this month. 

“I’ve been having regular X-Rays on my leg to keep an eye on the progress, but I think now I’m just going to have to leave it as late as I can to get the frame removed at the end of April,” he said. 

“Hopefully do the North West 200 and weather dependent, you get plenty of riding done there – at high speed and on the road. That’s pretty much all I need,” added Hutchinson, in an interview for sponsor Monster Energy.

“Hopefully then I can just chip away during practice week on the Isle of Man, and make some more progress before the races start.” 

Fellow top TT racer John McGuinness also faces an uphill battle after suffering a setback with his leg injury. McGuinness is understood to have sustained a re-fracture of his leg following the recent removal of his cage. 

The 23-time TT winner was injured in a crash in practice at last year’s North West 200. McGuinness, who signed for Norton this year and was also due to ride for Michael Dunlop and Ryan Farquhar in the Supersport and Lightweight classes, is a bigger doubt for the TT than Hutchinson. The 46-year-old is definitely out of the North West 200. 

Bruce Anstey is also sidelined through illness.

Kyle White