There’s a last minute change for Peter Hickman ahead of the 2022 Tourist Trophy. The famous Isle of Man road race, which began on Sunday with the first practice session, will see the lap record holder line up in the Supertwin class with the Paton S1-R of Vittorio Salerio’s VAS Engine Racing team. A decision made just hours before he's set to climb aboard, considering that “Hicky” will test the bike on Tuesday evening, on what is day three of qualifying (the full schedule here).

Hickman’s first real Supertwin opportunity

A specialist with the big engines, Peter has never been very lucky with the Supertwins. After a disastrous experience with the Norton in 2019, he should have been racing with the Aprilia RS 660 this year but, having tested it at the North West 200 without achieving any significant results, he has chosen to move to the Italian bike, winner of the last edition with Michael Dunlop.

Hickman will flank Frenchman Pierre-Yves Bian and has already made his intentions clear: “I had the opportunity to compete with the bike that won the last edition, or with one that has never raced in a TT (the Aprilia, new this year)”. The number 10 rider will therefore be out to win, in a race that may well become a head to head with Michael Dunlop (who will also ride a Paton, for the MD Racing team), with Jamie Coward another possible rival on the Kawasaki and Stefano Bonetti a potential outsider with the Aprilia.

Translated by Heather Watson

Stage debut of a show dedicated to the Dunlop dynasty