WARNING: this posting contains some pretty horrific images.
In 2010 soft-spoken Yorkshireman Ian Hutchinson won all five races at the TT.
It was an incredible achievement, caught by chance in the film TT - Closer to the Edge, where Hutchinson’s mounting successes formed a steady counterpoint to the disappointment, crashes and injuries to Guy Martin and Conor Cummings; also the death of New Zealander Paul Dobbs, borne with such dignity by his wife Brigit.
No-one has ever won all five races at the TT and I would have said it was nigh impossible to do. Plenty of great racers never win a single TT, so many things (skill, technology, luck) have to come together to allow you to win that to take all five is incredible.
Hutchinson was on fire that season. After his success in the TT, he took Superbike, Superstock and Supersport wins at the Ulster Grand Prix and then won the Scarborough Gold Cup, breaking Guy Martin's record of winning the race each year since 2003. It was an incredible season for Hutchinson, but perhaps he’d used all his luck because, one week later, it all went wrong during a British Supersport Championship race at Silverstone. On the first lap of the race held in wet conditions, several riders, including Hutchinson, came off. Hutchinson was struck by another rider as he lay on the track and suffered compound fractures to his tibia and fibula in his left leg.
A compound fracture, of course, is where the bone is completely snapped and often tears through the flesh to stick out of the skin. Hutchinson had two of these horrific breaks above and below the knee and it looked as if the leg may have to be amputated. It wasn’t, but you don’t recover quickly from an injury like that.
Despite 16 operations and skin grafts, he missed the start of the 2011 season, and had to withdraw from the North West 200 and the TT. I’ve followed “Hutchy’s” progress (or lack of it) partly because I was so impressed with his riding in that 2010 season and partly because I admired his guts and determination. Nothing unusual about guts and determination in a motorcycle racer, but the massive high and incredible low Hutchinson suffered in 2010 is Greek in its epic scale.
There have been reports in MCN, but the best way to keep in touch with Hutchinson’s story has been by following him on Twitter @tweethutchy, but it has not been an easy ride or read and these tweets from one evening this week give you an insight into how he feels now:
No sleep again!! Wish I could be put to sleep for 8 months and wake up with a brand new leg! Sickofallthegreif.
Imagine only getting out of bed in a morning for one thing,only thinking about one thing all day, life is all for one thing then it's gone!
I won't lie I'm finding it hard, yes I'm strong yes I'm very determined but I live to race a motorbike and I feel like I'm in prison!
No matter what your situation there's always someone worse of than you, and there's always someone will tell you that, but it don't help you
Thank you and good night my friends
It’s now over two years since that crash at Silverstone and you’ll gather from his tweets this week that it hasn’t been a great couple of years for Hutchy.
On the back of his TT success and, in the expectation that he’d be back fairly quickly, he signed a two-year deal with Swan Yamaha for the 2011 season and was to spearhead the company’s road race campaign in their 50th anniversary year. But there were continuous set-backs and, although he did attend the 2011 TT, it was only to ride some exhibition laps.
In the winter of 2011/12 he had to undergo further operations when he was injured when he twisted the broken leg awkwardly while riding an off-road bike practising for an appearance at the MCN show at Excel in London. He had an external fixator fitted and began yet more recuperation to try to race this year. He did indeed come back and rode in the North West 200. Tom and I saw him at the TT on the Swan Yamaha, but he clearly wasn’t anywhere near fit. He was 8th in the opening Superbike race, 9th in the first Supersport 600 race, 11th place in the Superstock and 6th second Supersport race. Those placings would be viewed as pretty good if he hadn’t won all five two years before and, like I said, he clearly hadn’t got that extra 10 per cent needed.
The injury flared up again and this summer and autumn he’s had further agonising treatment and will now miss next year’s road racing season, including the TT.
This is Ian’s experience as told on Twitter. If you want to follow him, you can do so by finding @tweethutchy. Just don’t tell him to pull himself together:
August 13 (good luck message - one of many - from a fan):
@tweethutchy - hope all goes ok with your op today, we need you back on top form for 2013 IOMTT dude! #KingOfTheMountain
Retweeted by Ian Hutchinson
We have no way of knowing what lays ahead for us in future,all we can do is use the information at hand to make the best decision possible!
Had to make a few adjustments to the cage today, sick of holes in tracky pants!
August 22:
Ok I'll build you up, this is where shaving of skin was taken! Nowt but a scratch pic.twitter.com/44jOqUEr
Then this is where the full thickness flap graft was moved and part of my tibia bone removed 😳 pic.twitter.com/Ee1mYv3K
Last but not least this is where the flap was taken and the shaving placed, yummy
@ValeYellow46 it was great to meet with you today vale, there is always an amazing buzz around you! Thank youpic.twitter.com/GyEbBauP
Thank you @Ukjake1 monster uk for an awesome time at Brno moto gp congrats @calcrutchlow was nice to be there for your first podium mate
August 29 (Dougie Lampkin is a multiple world trials champion):
@dougielampkin: Jesus Hutchy you tweet some belting photos to remind us folk were soft as sh1t !!!! Haha I'm been hard on here I cry really!
Had the stitches out today all looking good,puts a whole new meaning to its no skin off my back!! Graft came from back pic.twitter.com/YiQXYbp9
On way to donington Bsb still on crutches so need a vehicle pass, organisers won't let me have one! I don't really miss Bsb
great day at donington with team and friends,also thank you to everyone's well wishes amazed and privileged at how much support you give me
DJ's birthday today I wonder how many TT's he's of won by now!! Shit loads miss you mate! pic.twitter.com/GstYXrcZ
I can finally confirm my future plans and unfortunately I will not be racing next season or at the north west or TT i will fight until I can
Thank you to all my fans for supporting me now I will work hard to come back fully fit and show you the hutchy you want to see out there
I'd like to thank Shaun Muir,swan,Yamaha,moto direct,Arai and my personal sponsors for all your support and committing to me when I return
Early start, Coventry hospital here we go again !
My second home, well prob my first home, op 27 today to break leg, it's going to cracking, like what I did there! pic.twitter.com/YJYmutKn
@tweethutchy 2 Thai birds asked me to join them in for a Threesome. It was just like winning the Lottery...We had 6 matching balls
Retweeted by Ian Hutchinson
@tweethutchy My girlfriend said she wanted to be treated like a princess.So I took a picture of her tits and put it on facebook.
Retweeted by Ian Hutchinson
@tweethutchy Hi I’m hosting a charity disco and raffle on Sat 2 raise money 4 people who struggle 2 orgasm. If you cant come let me know thx
Retweeted by Ian Hutchinson
I had this stupid thought that having your leg broken under control in theatre would not hurt! Hammer chisel bone it's just not right!
Sore as fuck today no sleep bed all day for me need bikes on tv@charliehiscott pic.twitter.com/QTBrQ2PZ
@Stuarteaston3 can't cope with yacking up on morphine it's 2 years today I got rode over brrrr I just wana race my bike god ?
@NeilScubaDriver yes mate the inside of leg looks ok the back and out side is like a combine harvester been round 😝I'm growing bone now
@IceValleyRacing I start the bone transport today got to move it 90mm down leg so I've get the wooden spoon ready to bite on 😝
Just want to put something straight!! Been reading Michael dunlops column and he says I've retired from racing ????
And that it's the right thing as the game would have moved on too much by the time I get back!!! Well I can assure you I have not retired
And as far as the game moving on noone has got close to the lap speeds that won me all 5 in 2010 so for now I'd say you wish I was retiring
I wasn't "fired up" about the comment just I've done a lot of fighting and I'm gonna keep fighting so I don't want to read I've retired
October 14:
The end of another season I've missed today, it's difficult knowing I've got another whole season on the sideline I really miss racing
October 16
In for another dose of radiation !! I'll have a good leg but shrivelled up knackers
October 31
@Scarey02 yes all going to plan thanks just a bit short at the mo!! Started lengthening 1 month down 8 to go pic.twitter.com/cbemA6Sr
And this week:
No sleep again!! Wish I could be put to sleep for 8 months and wake up with a brand new leg! Sickofallthegreif.
Imagine only getting out of bed in a morning for one thing,only thinking about one thing all day, life is all for one thing then it's gone!
I won't lie I'm finding it hard, yes I'm strong yes I'm very determined but I live to race a motorbike and I feel like I'm in prison!
No matter what your situation there's always someone worse of than you, and there's always someone will tell you that, but it don't help you
Thank you and good night my friends
Update: I am pleased to be able to write that on 15 March, 2014 (three-and-a-half years since the accident at Silverstone and almost four years after his amazing 2010 TT), Ian Hutchinson posted the following:
Ian
Hutchinson @tweethutchy: After 3 1/2
years of operations, intensive care, blood transfusions, X-rays, MRI scans, CT
scans, Physio therapy, I got discharged today
Ian will ride a Milwaukee Yamaha in British Superbikes and also contest the 2014 TT on a Yamaha with Josh Brookes as his team-mate. It's great that Yamaha (and team boss Shaun Muir) have stuck with Hutchinson during this time.
I'm looking forward to seeing him at the Isle of Man this summer.
Footnote, June 9 2015: the above blog was written in November 2012. I'm pleased to say that today, almost three years after I wrote that blog and five years after his TT clean sweep, Ian Hutchinson won the Supersport race at the Isle of Man. What a comeback, what a man!
Footnote June 12, 2015: In 2015, Hutchy won three TTs - both Supersport races and the Superstock, on a Yamaha YZR6 and a Kawasaki ZXR1000. It brought his total of TT wins up to 11 and counting ... It also seems to have awakened a certain interest in Ian Hutchinson. I get lots of people reading this post and the stats shot up this week. Most people finding it by doing a search h for the terms "Ian Hutchinson" or "Ian Hutchinson leg injury", but this week there have been a couple of new search terms. I've had "Ian Hutchinson topless" and "Ian Hutchinson is he married". Clearly someone has an interest in the softly spoken Yorkshireman that's nothing to do with road racing - watch out Ian!
Footnote, June 9 2015: the above blog was written in November 2012. I'm pleased to say that today, almost three years after I wrote that blog and five years after his TT clean sweep, Ian Hutchinson won the Supersport race at the Isle of Man. What a comeback, what a man!
Footnote June 12, 2015: In 2015, Hutchy won three TTs - both Supersport races and the Superstock, on a Yamaha YZR6 and a Kawasaki ZXR1000. It brought his total of TT wins up to 11 and counting ... It also seems to have awakened a certain interest in Ian Hutchinson. I get lots of people reading this post and the stats shot up this week. Most people finding it by doing a search h for the terms "Ian Hutchinson" or "Ian Hutchinson leg injury", but this week there have been a couple of new search terms. I've had "Ian Hutchinson topless" and "Ian Hutchinson is he married". Clearly someone has an interest in the softly spoken Yorkshireman that's nothing to do with road racing - watch out Ian!
Other motorcycle-related posts:
TT Rider Deaths are in Your Hands
Will Michael Dunlop Become the Greatest TT Racer of all Time?
Closer to the Riders
Notes from the Isle of Man
Will Michael Dunlop Become the Greatest TT Racer of all Time?
Closer to the Riders
Notes from the Isle of Man
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