10 TOP SPOTS ON THE MOUNTAIN COURSE

There’s something truly special about the Isle of Man TT – and a big part of it is the iconic Mountain Course. The ‘track’ cuts through the Isle of Man’s rugged landscape, with a single 37.73-mile lap of the Mountain Course taking in long, bumpy straights, winding country roads, tricky, twisty village sections, jumps, hairpin bends and fast-flowing corners; the TT’s got it all. Here’s our pick of some of the most exciting spots on the course.

16. RHENCULLEN

The toughest section of the course and a place where you can see the riders wheelie, dive into a blind right/left set of corners and then hit a hump in the road that lofts the front wheel at 140mph. This is a classic TT spot.

Speed: 140mph

Gear: Fourth

13. BARREGARROW

Riders roll off the throttle from flatout and aim for the inside kerb at the bottom of a severe dip. Bike suspension bottoms out, and it’s not unheard of to see rider’s feet come off the footrests and bikes tankslap up the hill.

Speed: 140mph

Gear: Fifth

11. CRONK-Y-VODDY

A long straight where the fast riders get up to some serious speed before pitching into a right-hander where the road drops away. Bikes wheelie here on their way down to the 11th Milestone.

Speed: 155mph

Gear: Sixth

10. SARAH’S COTTAGE

One of the top spots to see who is on a properly-fast lap. The really fast guys hold the gear all the way through here and drive hard on to Creg Willy’s Hill. The fast guys all say that this is a vital part of a fast time around The Island.

Speed: 80mph

Gear: Third

8. DORAN’S BEND

Very scary and very fast lefthander that the riders go into fully committed. Riders have, in the past, scraped the tops of their lids on the wall on the exit.

Speed: 120mph

Gear: Fifth

5. GREEBA CASTLE

Stone walls on the outside of the S-bend mean that the riders have to be absolutely inch perfect around Greeba, but it’s still amazingly fast and well worth seeing.

Speed: 100mph

Gear: Third

4. HALFWAY HOTEL

Next to a crest of a rise where the big bikes wheelie at almost full chat. It offers a great view of the bikes coming down the hill as they squirm under power before being gunned into Greeba.

Speed: 170mph

Gear: Sixth

17. BALLAUGH

Truly this is one of the most famous spots of the TT course and jumping the humpbacked bridge is a TT classic all on its own. Speed: 50mph Gear: Second

20. GINGER HALL

Fast and bumpy it might be, but the switching cambers can really catch a rider out. On a sunny day the overhanging branches from the trees can plunge a rider into the dark once they’ve passed the pub on the outside of the corner.

Speed: 100mph

Gear: Third

30.VERANDAH FOUR

A blistering, four-part series of right-hand corners right on the edge of the Mountain. Fast racers actually count their way round Verandah so they know when they’re coming out of the corner. Speed: 160mph Gear: Sixth