Isle of Man TT cancelled due to pandemic

Dan Kneen

This year’s Isle of Man TT has been cancelled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The event was due to take place from May 30 through June 13.

The race is so dangerous during the 2018 IOM TT, two riders died: Dan Kneen of the IOM, who passed during Superbike TT qualifying, and Adam Lyon of Scotland, who died during the Monster Energy Supersport 1 race.

“The decision to cancel has not been taken lightly and all options including postponement and delaying the decision have been considered in detail," said Minister for Enterprise Laurence Skelly.

“Representatives from the Isle of Man Government will now discuss the implications with all relevant businesses, stakeholders and individuals affected by this cancellation, which it recognizes will be significant.

“With the visitor restriction in place for the foreseeable future we wanted to make the decision now to give businesses, visitors and all involved stakeholders time to manage the impact going forward.

“The Isle of Man, and the Isle of Man TT, are faced with unique challenges regarding COVID-19 and making this decision will provide certainty to teams, competitors, sponsors and stakeholders of the event and to visitors across the globe.

‘The decision also aims to provide reassurance for our residents and healthcare professionals that the health and well-being of the Isle of Man’s residents is the single biggest priority and focus of this Government."