Only the Second Time in History
The Isle of Man government officially canceled the Isle of Man TT race due to the COVID-9 virus concern. The event was scheduled for May 30 to June 13. It will not happen. This is only the second time in the race’s history that it has been canceled.
“The decision to cancel has not been taken lightly, and all options including postponement and delaying the decision have been considered in detail. Representatives from the Isle of Man Government will now discuss the implications with all relevant businesses, stakeholders, and individuals affected by this cancellation, which it recognizes will be significant,” said Laurence Skelly MHK, who is the IOM Minister for Enterprise.
In all fairness, even if the Isle of Man was willing to host the race, with all of the various travel bans in place due to the virus, it would have been difficult to get everyone to the event to make it happen. It’s a true shame that the event is canceled, but it will come back in full-force next year.
The last time the race was canceled was in 2001 when there was an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. According to RideApart, the event organizers have said they’re looking ahead to the 2020 Classic TT races and the Manx Grand Prix.