Three killed in Isle of Man TT crash

A rider and two spectators died in the final event of the Isle of Man TT on Friday in a crash that cast a pall over the 100th…

A rider and two spectators died in the final event of the Isle of Man TT on Friday in a crash that cast a pall over the 100th anniversary celebrations of motorcycling's oldest and deadliest road races.

The official TT Web site named the rider as Briton Marc Ramsbotham (34).

One spectator died at the scene of the accident, the 26th milestone on the mountain course, and another later in hospital. Two more were injured.

The Norfolk rider was competing in the six-lap Senior TT (Tourist Trophy), a blue riband event watched by tens of thousands of visitors to the island as well as former champions including John Surtees and Giacomo Agostini.

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An investigation was under way into the causes of the accident.

The deaths, on a circuit that before yesterday had claimed 223 lives since the inaugural Tourist Trophy race of 1907, overshadowed what had otherwise been a memorable close to the festival of road racing.

The TT course pits riders against the clock over 37.73 miles on public roads and with the start and finish in Douglas. Top speeds exceed 200 mph (320kph).

This year's sole major incident before yesterday was a crash in Tuesday's Superstock TT that left New Zealand's former winner Shaun Harris in a critical condition in hospital.

Despite the dangers, and calls in some quarters for the TT to be banned, the races remain oversubscribed with riders accepting the risks.