Spanning over 37 miles on tight streets, villages and mountain roads, the Isle of Man TT is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous races in existence.
Every year, hundreds of motorcycle riders dare to take on the Mountain Course for the TT event in June. While it remains a hugely popular and prestigious race to this day, the dangers are glaringly obvious, and it has a dark history.
Since its inception in 1907, there have been over 260 fatalities, over 150 of which have occurred at TT events. Yet that does not stop the most daring of riders from taking on the mammoth race every year.
But even for MotoGP riders, where the danger is also great, the Isle of Man TT is not a race that many would, or will ever, take on. In 2009, Valentino Rossi braved the course.
Valentino Rossi was impressed by the Isle of Man TT
Rossi was shown around the Mountain Course by fellow MotoGP legend Giacomo Agostini. While he did not ride it at full speed, it was fast enough to get a feeling for the bikes and the circuit.
He said after his lap via ITV 4: “First, I’m so happy to make a lap, because I know a lot about TT, but just from the DVDs. So [to] understand what it is for real is impressive.
“It’s a great track, very fast, funny for the bike, but to go flat down there you need a lot of technique to ride the bike, for sure, but especially a lot of bravery.
“Yes, I follow Giacomo, and it’s easier because you know the track and it’s also faster. We go not too fast, but anyway with the good pace.
“It’s funny because it’s good for these bikes, it’s as fast as wide and the newer one is unbelievable. It’s very fast, as fast as my first Yamaha MotoGP in 2004, I think, because the power is impressive.”
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Valentino Rossi was ‘glad’ the Isle of Man TT was no longer in MotoGP
Between 1949 and 1976, the Isle of Man TT was on the MotoGP calendar. But for perhaps understandable reasons, it was removed.
When asked if he was happy that the event was no longer in his sport, Rossi replied: “Yes. Yes, I’m glad.
“I mean, I think this race is not just a race. I think the rider that do this race, it’s like a battle against the TT. It’s something different than the MotoGP. But it’s very dangerous, for sure, it’s not possible [to] make mistakes and the speed is so [much] faster.”