The Isle of Man TT ended with a thrilling duel

The 2019 Isle of Man TT has ended in blistering form after a week of disarray due to horrendous rain. The Senior race – the big finale of any TT week – was won by Dean Harrison, denying arch rival Peter Hickman four wins in a week and a place in TT history.

They were the stars of 2018, Hickman having to pull an all-time lap record out of the bag (a still-unbeaten 135.45mph average) to pip Harrison to the Senior win. One year on, their podium places swapped when Hickman’s BMW hit trouble on lap four (of six) and Harrison soared to a 53 second lead having been around 10secs behind in earlier laps.

Isle of Man local Conor Cummins finished third, just as he did last year. Dominic Herbertson, who firmly won us over last year, came in tenth.

Torrential rain shook the week’s schedule up and shortened many of the TT’s other races, but Hickman struck up three wins and would have entered esteemed company had he picked up a fourth in the Senior. The other big victors this week were Northern Irishmen Lee Johnston and Michael Dunlop – the latter's 19th TT trophy taking the Dunlop family total to 50 – and sidecar pairing Ben and Tom Birchall, who clocked their seventh consecutive TT win.

TT week didn’t pass without tragedy, though, County Durham rider Daley Mathison losing his life in the first race of the week. His teammate Davey Todd – in scintillating form for only his second TT, and surely a future star – paid tribute.

“I’ve lost so much more than my teammate today. My training partner, my friend, my partner in crime. I love you brother, rest in peace.”