Injured TT sidecar star Mark Cox attempts charity cycle
A TT sidecar champion who suffered career ending injuries in a crash at the Isle of Man event will take on the "ride of his life" this weekend.
Mark Cox, from Kent, was involved in a high-speed crash in 2009, which left him and Manx driver Nick Crowe with a number of serious injuries.
The 42-year-old plans to cycle three laps of the TT course on Sunday to raise money for a fellow passenger.
"I've been working hard on my fitness and this has been a target," he said.
The pair, who achieved a TT double in 2008, had been leading the sidecar race when they crashed on the approach to Ballaugh on the first lap of the race.
It is thought they hit a hare at more than 100mph and the race was abandoned after the accident.
The three-lap cycle challenge is the equivalent distance (113.25 miles) of a sidecar race at the TT.
Three years on from the crash, the Rochester racer still faces surgery on his injuries including operations on both knees and a hip replacement.
Following a number of operations, one of his legs is now 24mm shorter after it had to be fused and broken on more than one occasion.
He is raising money for fellow TT sidecar racer Rick Long who suffered serious injuries in an accident at an invitation race at the Hockenheimring in 2008. The accident claimed the life of Mr Long's driver Steve Norbury.
"I have been working on my own fitness recovery since the accident and keep setting myself new targets," Mr Cox said.
"I suggested to my trainer that maybe cycling a lap of the TT course would be a good way to build my strength up in preparation for the operations due on my knees and hips, while at the same time raising some funds to help Rick."
Mr Cox is due to start from the TT Grandstand at 06:00 BST on Sunday and aims to complete the full distance in less than 12 hours.