Hickman Wins Dramatic Supertwin Race

Peter Hickman has won a drama filled Supertwin race after two leaders dropped out with bike issues.

With Michael Dunlop on the brink of history, his bike conked out with him in the lead before Mike Browne also retired.

Dunlop led by just over 1.024 seconds over Michael Browne at Glen Helen, with Peter Hickman 3.5 seconds back and Coward 1.089 seconds in fourth, with Stefano Bonetti close behind in fifth.

Sadly for Coward he was out of the race by the time they reached Ballaugh, where Dunlop led Brown by 3.353 seconds, with Hickman 5.8 seconds down in third.

Coming out of Ramsey on lap one, MD’s lead over Browne was 5.276 seconds, with Hickman was 9.222 seconds back and Josh Brookes 8.605 behind him, just 2.207 seconds ahead of Bonetti.

But up on the Mountain, there was disaster for MD as his bike spluttered and he was forced to coast to a stop.

Heading into the pits, Browne’s lead over Hickman was 11.645 seconds, with Brookes, chasing his first podium, 14.243 seconds back in third as they headed back out on lap two.

Browne’s lead through Glen Helen on lap two had risen to 12.443 seconds, while Brookes had lost a lot of time and fallen down the rankings to seventh, with Pierre Yves Bian climbing to third, 28.443 seconds behind, just 1.742 seconds ahead of Dominic Herbertson, with Bonetti just 2.342 seconds behind him as the race for third was on.

Climbing out of Ramsey, Browne’s lead was 16.599 seconds. Down in third, Herbertson had snuck ahead of PVB by just 0.426 seconds.

With the third lap underway, Browne was 14.088 seconds ahead of Hickman at the Grandstand, with Herbertson extending the gap between him and PVB in fourth to 4.972 seconds.

However, with victory within his sights, Browne’s clutch let him down at the end of lap two, putting Hickman in first, Hertberson, who was 40 seconds behind, in second and PVB back up into third with Brookes chasing down an unlikely podium just 8.991 seconds.

More drama was to strike at Glen Helen as Herbertson retired, boosting PVB into seconds and Brookes into third, with Bonetti nine seconds down in fourth.

Such was the drama on the road, you could easily have forgotten Hickman was coasting out in front through Ramsey on the final lap, 49 seconds ahead of PVB, who was 5.514 seconds ahead of Brookes.

At the end, PVB was congratulated on his second place by his teammate Hickman as he was crowded by his team overcome with joy, while Brookes could barely remove his grin having landed a podium in a race he thought he’d blown after a bad pit stop.

Top Six

Hickman
Yves Bian
Brookes
Bonetti
Hodson
Furber