Manx Grand Prix: Michael Gahan 'disheartened' after cruel luck denies Ulster rider chance for victory in Supertwin race
Limavady’s Michael Gahan’s chances of a dream victory at the Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man were cruelly undone on the final lap of the Supertwin race after he ran out of fuel.
Gahan had been chasing down race leader Lewis Arrowsmith and had slashed the English rider’s advantage from six seconds to 0.7s at the Bungalow on the third and last lap.
However, Gahan slowed through Keppel Gate and then stopped at Creg-ny-Baa on the Scott Racing Aprilia RS660 only a few miles from the finish.
The dejected Ulsterman was left heartbroken, but Gahan will have another opportunity on the Aprilia in Monday’s MGP Junior race.
“On the last lap, I just put the hammer down and saw the boards [gap to Arrowsmith] were coming down and we were gaining and gaining,” Gahan explained.
“I pulled the trigger on the Mountain and thought, right, this is it now, and I rode to my limit – what I thought was safe – and then through Keppel it just went [slowed].
“I thought I’d turned the bike off, got it straightened up and she went again, then at Creg-ny-Baa she just run out and the race was over.
“It is what it is, everybody has to finish but I rode as hard as I could ride and just unfortunately we had no luck. We’ll try again.
“I’m disheartened a wee bit today but we’ll see how we go.”