Photo: IOMTT
The practice sessions for the Isle of Man TT are finally underway under better weather, but the news from the TT isn’t all good; one rider has died after a serious crash.
The TT practice sessions have been hindered for several days by rainy weather, keeping the racers bottled up as they wait for the wet to disappear. They hit the streets yesterday evening, with Bruce Anstey setting the fastest time in Superbike, with one lap reaching a 128.641 mph average speed on his first lap; he continued to set top lap times ahead of the pack consistently throughout practice. John McGuinness had the closest lap to Anstey, at 128.596 mph.
Last year, McGuinness struggled to put up top times at the TT as he recovered from injury; yesterday’s results are a sign that he’s still able to compete.
A French rider was killed during the practice session yesterday. Franck Petricola, a regular in the European IRRC roadracing championship, was killed in a crash at Sulby Crossroads. He was 32.
This was Petricola’s first year at the TT; he was supposed to race last year, but withdrew after an injury at the North West 200. He was the TT’s 141st fatality in its 108-year history.
