Isle of Man TT legends name a MotoGP rider who could tackle the Mountain Course

Legends of the Isle of Man TT have debated which MotoGP rider would excel on the Mountain Course.

A recent Monster Energy Day brought together elite riders from road racing, MotoGP and World Superbikes at Silverstone.

Despite the differences in their disciplines, the subject of crossing over inevitably cropped up.

John McGuinness was asked which MotoGP rider would perform well at the TT, and he responded to TNT Sports: “Not Marquez!”

But Peter Hickman said: “But Marquez is the one who’s got the head for it.

“He’d have a go. He wouldn’t think too much about it, he’d crack on.”

McGuinness said: “I think you’d want a smooth, calculated rider like a Vinales who’d suit the TT.

“But their programme is so busy they wouldn’t have time to do it. I’m sure they’d have the minerals.

“If they really set their mind to it, any one of those MotoGP guys would be competitive at the TT.”

Hickman replied: “100%. If you can ride a bike, you can ride a bike and it doesn’t matter where it is.”

Marquez has previously said about the TT: “I have a lot of respect for the riders that race there, but I don’t like it.

“I like to have fun, to enjoy riding, to look for the limit; to go to the Isle of Man is to gamble away your life, that's how I see it.”

The Isle of Man TT riders were pressed on who would win this season’s MotoGP championship.

Pecco Bagnaia is 10 points clear of Jorge Martin at the top of the standings, ahead of Silverstone next week.

Hickman predicted: “Pecco. He’s calculated, he’s got it. He’s always on the money. He’s got the measure of everyone.”

Michael Dunlop said: “Martin, it’s a year where… he doesn’t have to do it, but if he doesn’t, he’ll have spent too long on it.

“I’ll go with Martin. Pecco is fantastic as well. It’ll get rough and ready…”