Roads: Padgett: 'We can't not take the RCV to the TT!'

Clive Padgett has said he’ll still be taking the Honda RC213V-S to this year’s Isle of Man TT despite Bruce Anstey set to miss the event after being diagnosed with cancer.

Having confirmed his illness publicly two weeks ago, Anstey has already begun treatment and Padgett ensures he remains in good spirits.

With Anstey out, the team has said they will still be taking the ever-popular, MotoGP-inspired RC213V-S to the TT but whether they will race it has not yet been decided.

Padgett admits he did consider putting their other rider, Conor Cummins, on the bike but the lanky Manxman has proved a little too large for the narrow V4.

“Bruce is in hospital at the minute,” Padgett told MCN at Castle Combe. “He went in on Monday and is having treatment, I’ve been speaking to him. It was his birthday yesterday and Anny took him a cake in to the hospital which is great. I think he’s a bit bored really, he keeps sending me videos of the RCV at the TT last year. Hopefully this is the start of his recovery, we love him to bits and this would have been his eighth season with us. Our first priority is to get him fit so we can go for a brew, a beer or a Chinese with him! After that if he wants to go motorbike racing the bikes will be there for him.

“We can’t not take the RCV to the TT, but before we ran it around or gave it to someone else the first thing I’d do is give Bruce a call as I wouldn’t want him to see his motorbike on track not knowing about it. Bruce will get a say as to who we put on it or what we do with it because that’s how our relationship operates.

“I think we’d get lynched by some of the fans if we didn’t take the RCV to the TT! We’ve already got people calling the shop asking if it’s still going to be there. At the very least I want it on display in the paddock and to warm it up a few times, but who knows… if we can’t race it perhaps we’ll do the odd parade lap.”