Isle of Man TT star James Hillier has been forced to retire from the Dakar Rally after fracturing his arm on the opening stage of this year’s event.

Competing in his third Dakar Rally, the 40 year old finished 8th in his class and 56th overall in the prologue yesterday, but suffered the injury in a low-speed crash on Sunday’s first stage in Saudi Arabia.

Posting on social media, the 40 year old confirmed his withdrawal from the iconic off-road event: ‘Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news from today’s stage.

‘I had a low-speed crash about 250km in and landed awkwardly on some rocks, injuring my arm.

‘I carried on and completed the stage, but deep down I knew I’d done some damage.

‘After a visit to the medical centre, it’s been confirmed that I’ve fractured my arm just below the elbow and have been advised to retire from the remainder of the event.

‘Gutted is an understatement. It’s taken a lot to get here, and I’d once again like to send my appreciation to all my sponsors who made this journey possible.’