Dan Sayle is making slow but steady progress in his recovery from the serious injuries he suffered when crashing in the Lightweight Classic TT.

The joint most successful sidecar passenger in TT history, who has won three Manx Grand Prix solo races in an impressive career in road racing, was transferred to a hospital in Liverpool soon afterwards for specialist treatment.

He was initially placed in an induced coma, but came out of that last Sunday. However, he remains serious in the hospital’s critical care unit.

The crash at Ballaspur - reminiscent of Richard ’Milky’ Quayle’s incident at the same spot in 2003 - left Dan with multiple injuries, including a fracture to the base of his skull, a broken cheek, collarbone, shoulder, arm, ribs, breast bone and vertebrae.

He will have to wear a body brace for some period to mend the injuries to his back, but on the positive side there are no serious head injuries.

His mother, Rosie Christian, said yesterday that Daniel remains in severe pain, but is buoyed by all the many get well wishes from all over the world.

’We appreciate everyone who has been on this journey with us so far, from the marshals and medics at the scene of the crash to the hospital consultants. Their care has been second to none.’

She also expressed a special thank you to Wyn Evans, the Festival of Motorcycling’s riders’ welfare officer and Isle of Man Centre ACU Benevolent Fund organiser who, Rosie says, was there for them from the very first minute after the incident.

Dan’s old mate, Michael Dunlop, visited him in hospital yesterday and cheered him up no end apparently.