Arguably the most interesting man in motorcycle racing, and possibly the least understood, Guy Martin has decided not to participate in the 2016 Isle of Man TT. Instead, he will take on a two wheel challenge of a different kind.

Martin will enter the Tour Divide, a bicycle race in North America, which is considered one of the most difficult competitions in the sport of cycling. The 4418 km mountain bike race takes riders from the heights of the Canadian Rockies to the badlands of the Mexican plateau, and is a solo, self supported event.

The start date for the event coincides with the TT so Martin had to make a choice and settled on a new challenge because, as he puts it, he’s not getting any younger, and the Tour Divide has been high on his ‘too do’ list.

There has been speculation for some time that Martin would step away from motorcycle racing to pursue other interests, especially after his spectacular crash at the 2015 Ulster GP left him recovering from serious injuries.

Martin was recently quoted as saying “I’m not done with motorbikes and if I race on the roads again this year it will be with the TAS team. The BMW bikes are mega and the team are spot on.”