2022 Isle of Man TT [2/6] | Hickman pulls pin, goes fastest in three classes

Peter Hickman emphasised his status as the rider to beat ahead of the 2022 Isle of Man TT as he surged to the top of the Superbike, Superstock and Supertwins timesheets, headlined by a new overall best speed of 133.22mph.

Ollie Barstow

03 Jun 2022

The lap record holder has spent the week dicing primarily with 2019 Senior TT winner Dean Harrison and Davey Todd among the top three, but - two days before the Superbike TT race takes place on Saturday - put some air between himself and the duo.

Completing the Mountain Course in the first 133mph-plus lap of the week, the Gas Monkey FHO BMW M 1000 RR was comfortably quicker than Harrison, who improved his best of the event so far with a 132.333mph.

However, he might take some heart from the fact Hickman was evidently running the BMW with a limit-pushing light weight after he ran out of the fuel towards the end of his second lap, one that looked capable of being even quicker.

Todd remains in third position on the Milenco by Padgetts Honda, his 132.187mph effort representing a new personal best around the Mountain Course in what is only his third TT.

Having focused primarily on Supersport this week - a class he still leads - Michael Dunlop made strides on the Hawk Suzuki to reclaim fourth with 131.44mph that proves he cannot be discounted for a podium challenge on Saturday.

Conor Cummins remains fifth as the last of the riders to exceed 130mph, while John McGuinness held down sixth place on the factory Honda after fending off a new best of the week for OMG Racing’s James Hiller, who became the quickest of the Yamaha contingent in seventh.

In Superstock, Hickman was again in fine form on the BMW M 1000 RR as he topped the timesheets once more, though remained down on his best lap of Wednesday. Overall he continues to lead Todd and Jamie Coward on the KTS Yamaha. Cummins and now Dunlop complete the top five, with Harrison in sixth.

With the Supertwins returning to action on Thursday evening, Hickman once more proved the class of the field with a new best of the week in a speed of 120.994mph aboard the Paton. He held a marginal advantage over second place man Dunlop on the same bike, the 19-time TT winner clocking a 120.965mph lap.

Dunlop continued to top the Supersport class with the fastest lap of the week so far at 126.662mph, with Harrison and Coward also achieving their best speeds of the TT so far in 125.563mph and 125.213mph, pushing Lee Johnston down to fourth and and Todd into fifth.