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Starting order for 2019 Isle of Man TT races revealed

The starting order for the 2019 Isle of Man TT races has been revealed, with revisions made to the number of riders guaranteed a starting spot

For the Superbike and Superstock races, 70 entries have been confirmed and a total of 73 have been accepted for the Supersport events.

In a bid to stop the fastest riders catching slower traffic, only 60 will be allowed to start the Superbike and Superstock events, while 68 will be permitted to contest the two Supersport races.

Local hero Conor Cummins will once again lead the field down Bray Hill at the start of the Superbike and Superstock events this year aboard his Padgetts-run Honda, which he took to a podium in the opening Superbike race in 2018.

Dean Harrison, who secured his first victory since 2014 last year in the second Supersport race, will go off at second instead of nine in 2018 riding his Silicone Engineering Kawasakis.

Peter Hickman beat Harrison in a thrilling Senior finale last year to score his second win of the week - after securing his maiden success in the Superstock race - and became the world's fastest road racer in the process with a lap record of 135.452mph.

The Smiths Racing rider will once more start the big bike events on his BMW S1000RR from number 10, with Honda's new recruit David Johnson going off 10 seconds prior at number nine.

Johnson's team-mate Ian Hutchinson will take up fourth on the starting order, carrying the number which took him to his record-breaking five-in-a-week success in 2010.

Hutchinson will follow John McGuinness, who is set to make his TT return on the Norton having been absent with a leg injury sustained in a crash at the 2017 North West 200.

James Hillier [Bournemouth Kawasaki] will go away at number five, with 18-times TT winner Michael Dunlop setting off 10 seconds later on his Tyco BMW.

Gary Johnson [Lee Hardy Racing] and Bathams rider Michael Rutter follow Dunlop.

The entries and starting order for the Sidecar events have also been launched, with last year's champions Ben and Tom Birchall setting off first.

Sidecar legend Dave Molyneux will set off at the seventh spot he started when he took the first of 17 wins three decades ago, and will run an LCR chassis this year following a tough 2018 event on his radical DMR frame.

Lee Johnston returns to privateer status in 2019 following a difficult time on the works Honda last year. He will leave the startline 10 seconds behind Hickman at 11 on the Ashcourt Racing BMW.

Top 20 TT starters

1 Conor Cummins (Padgetts Honda)
2 Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Kawasaki)
3 John McGuinness (Norton (Superbike and Senior))
4 Ian Hutchinson (Honda Racing)
5 James Hillier (Bournemouth Kawasaki)
6 Michael Dunlop (Tyco BMW)
7 Gary Johnson (Lee Hardy Racing Kawasaki)
8 Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing Honda RCV)
9 David Johsnon (Honda Racing)
10 Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW)
11 Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing BMW)
12 Derek McGee (Doyne/McGee Racing Kawasaki)
13 Sam West (Cycle Store BMW)
14 Phil Crowe (Sheffpack BMW)
15 Jamie Cowards (PreZ Racing Yamaha)
16 Derek Shiels (Burrows Engineering Suzuki)
17 Shaun Anderson (Anderson Racing Suzuki)
18 Davey Todd (Penz13.com BMW)
19 Daley Mathison (Penz13.com BMW)
20 Dominic Herbertson (Davies Motorsport Kawasaki)


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