Road racing superstar Guy Martin has dropped his strongest hint yet that he will sit out next year’s Isle of Man TT races to contest a gruelling mountain bike race in North America.

Speculation has been rife over his plans but the 33-year-old Grimsby racer appears to be committed to competing in the Tour Divide time trial, which traverses a 2,745-mile route and begins on Friday, June 10 – the final day of next June’s TT festival.

Martin, though, has revealed that he has made a definite decision on his plans for 2016, admitting that he ‘may have to upset a few people’.

“I know exactly what’s happening now, it’s just I might have to upset a few people but it’s happening,” he said.

“I’m not double-minded now, although I was up until about two weeks ago. Since my crash [in Dundrod 150 Superbike race in August], it’s taken me about six weeks to make my mind up but that’s it – my mind’s made up,” he added in an online interview.

“I needed a bit of time and I’m happy because I know what is happening and I’m dead comfortable.”

Martin may be poised to miss the TT, but it seems Ulster team TAS Racing will have an able replacement in Yorkshireman Ian Hutchinson, who is strongly linked with the Moneymore outfit following Paul Bird’s decision to run Ducati Panigale R machinery next season in the British Superbike Championship.

Kyle White