Sports
North West 200: How do motorcycle riders deal with death in their sport?
Road racing is a dangerous sport, as riders can reach speeds of more than 200mph on the long run to University Corner at the North West 200, but there are measures in place to make it as safe as it can possibly be.
Protectors and bales are placed in front of trees, lamp posts, walls and kerbs that line the circuit, while certain street signs and other obstacles are removed for the duration of the event.
The circuit used to be a fast and flowing triangle, but as the speeds of bikes have increased four chicanes have been introduced to lower the average speed of the lap.
The latest of these was introduced at Mather’s Cross in 2010, which was previously a high-speed curve with little run-off, after the deaths of Robert Dunlop in 2008 and Mark Young the following year.
When Mitchell-Thomas died in 2016, additional protectors were introduced along the coast road, and safety measures are reviewed before the event each year.
If there are any concerns about track conditions, such as oil spills or debris, experienced former racers are among those who head to the scene along with officials to help decide if it is safe for bikes to head back out on track, and if any action needs to be taken.
However, as Holan’s accident tragically highlighted, the sport will never be 100% safe, and those who race on Saturday will do so in his memory.
“When it’s good, it’s the best thing in the world,” Todd said.
“There’s nothing that compares to the feeling of it. The highs are highs, but the lows are really low.”
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Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio rejected transfer interest from Liverpool and Chelsea this summer – Paper Talk | Football News
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The Baltimore Ravens had just seven seconds to work with at the start of their drive – which proved to be just long enough to win the game in Brazil against the Dallas Cowboys.
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Manzambi is already in the discussion with fellow nominees Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande and new Manchester City midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for the best young player in the world award.
He scored three goals in four games for Switzerland at the World Cup before a knee injury ended his tournament, only a year after making his full international debut.
It is a rapid rise for a player who used to return to Freiburg’s academy to do his washing.
Bernhard Weis, who gave Manzambi his debut for Freiburg Under-19s, told BBC Sport: “He is playing for the professionals and he comes to us at the academy and brings some dirty clothes.
“He didn’t have a washing machine so he comes here and washes some clothes.
“I would speak with him and then he would pick up some young guys from the under-13s, under-14s and take them to the train station.
“He would see the guys and say, ‘come with me, I’ll take you to the station’, so they could get home. That’s Johan Manzambi.”
As for his profile, though, Weis did not expect a Ballon d’Or nomination coming so quickly.
He added: “I didn’t see that. I saw something for the first team, for us, but this way, no chance.
“The first half year at Freiburg it was not so easy for him, he’s not so strong and he’s not so stable. He put on five kilos and then he thought, ‘now I go, it’s the right moment, I will be faster and stronger’.
Massimo Lombardo, Servette’s academy director agreed. He first worked with Manzambi when he was 15 and oversaw his early development before he moved to Freiburg as a 17-year-old in 2023.
“It is a real surprise for many people, that he can do something special so quickly,” he told BBC Sport.
“For me, the difference he can make is because of his mentality, personality, enthusiasm and courage. He has the technical skills and tactical skills and the physical possibility now to perform in England.
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Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio rejected transfer interest from Liverpool and Chelsea this summer – Paper Talk | Football News
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