A ROYAL RIDER
The Duke of Cambridge sits aboard another British institution as he made his first official visit to the Isle of Man TT races. A keen motorcyclist himself, Prince William tried out the Norton SG7 machine and also watched the final stages of the TT Supersport race.
THE DUKE of Cambridge indulged his passion for motorbikes when he visited the Isle of Man TT – but his wife may have not been so impressed.
William, who has a life-long love for the machines, stood feet from the roadside and marvelled at the riders as they screamed past on their bikes.
The Duke was making his first official visit to the Isle of Man – a crown dependency – and was joined by the chief minister Howard Quayle and other dignitaries. William confessed Kate may have been a little sceptical of the intentions of his visit when Laurence Skelly, the Isle of Man government’s minister for enterprise, quizzed him about the Duchess’s views.
The Duke replied: “When I said I was going to the Isle of Man for an official visit she said ‘really?’.” The Isle of Man TT was first staged in 1907 and is one of the oldest continuous motorsport events in the world.
It features riders competing in nine races, from a superbike category to sidecar events, in time trials around the circuit, which is almost 38 miles long and renowned for its difficulty and danger.
Two competitors have been killed during this year’s event. William watched the final stages of the TT Supersport Race 2 where the 600cc bikes which can reach 180mph roared past at high speeds through the finish line.