Cycle News

Cycle News 2022 Issue 28 July 12

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1472935

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 104 of 133

FEATURE I 2022 ISLE OF MAN TT: PART 2 P104 After a little while, I realized it was Purslow who had gone down. It's rare for someone to survive a crash at Ballagarey, yet we all held out hope. But the longer we waited, the more ap- parent it was that this was a very grave accident indeed. The news filtered through a few hours later that Mark Purs- low had lost his life. One of the fast up-and-comers of the TT who had tasted success at the Manx Grand Prix, Mark was liv- ing his dream when it all came to an abrupt end. He was 29. It was my first brush with death at the TT, and, sadly, wouldn't be the last. LIVING THE TT DREAM Qualifying night five was one of those nights that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Four full laps, including two flyers, with the little Suzuki and I gelling like dance partners. Lap four was pure ecstasy, catching and passing multiple riders from Union Mills to Governor's Bridge for the first time and pulling away like they were doing to me only yesterday. With no red flags, no crashes for anyone, I rocked out a 117.07-mph lap to finish 22nd for the night, one place behind my old sparring partner from CVMA, Chris Sarbora. I was utterly beaming. That lap was, categorically, the most fun I've ever had on a bike. I started to feel like I belonged, that I could do this. I was capable of be- coming a TT rider. This euphoria, however, was quashed the following night. I rode terribly, got too full of my- self, and couldn't go as fast as I did the night before, when every- Out of Sulby Bridge on the final lap of the second TT. By now, everything was starting to click.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Cycle News 2022 Issue 28 July 12