William Dunlop ‘There is a wariness that never goes away’
William Dunlop, who has suffered three crashes on the TT course in recent years, admits he has been affected by them. “It takes the edge off you,” he reveals.
Dunlop broke his leg when he crashed his Tyco BMW at the Graham Memorial during the 2014 Senior and was lucky to escape with just bruising after falls in practice at Laurel Bank in 2015 and Sarah’s Cottage 12 months later.
“The two crashes in Glen Helen were caused by white lines,” explains the 32-year-old, who will race for the Temple Golf Club Yamaha team in 2018.
“I hit the lines on the brakes, when the bikes were upright. I am warier of them now, although they change from place to place. I was pathetic through Laurel Bank and Sarah’s the first time I rode them again and that only goes away slowly. It almost becomes a natural reaction that stays with you.”
Dunlop admits the 2014 Senior crash was his own fault but the five times TT podium finisher doesn’t feel being injured in the smash had a particularly significant effect. “My hand got stuck on the throttle going into the corner and the bike threw me off,” he explains.
“It was a stupid mistake and when I came back the next year it only affected me at that corner for a few laps and then I was on it again. “The white line thing is different, there is a wariness there now that never goes away. It just sits in the back of your mind.”