Isle of Man TT: Louth's Peter Hickman secures fourth podium

Following his stunning second place in Sunday’s Superbike race, the Louth rider took third in Tuesday’s Supersport event, and then climbed the podium twice more yesterday.

He capped a fantastic second place in the Superstock race with third in the Lightweight event.

Hickman went into the four-lap Superstock race hopeful that problems with the Superstock bike at the North West 200 had been resolved.

At the first checkpoint of Glen Helen he was holding third place on time, and having reeled in Michael Rutter on time, he crossed the line for lap two in second place.

He held the position for the rest of the races to seal his third podium in as many races.

He said: “Conditions were a bit better than I expected as I thought the wind would be really bad, but actually it was okay.

“I had a bit of an issue with the bike on the first couple of laps as it kept cutting out and I couldn’t figure out why, but it just cleared itself and it was okay towards the end of the race.

“The first lap I was a lot stronger up to Glen Helen which makes the race a lot easier when you find yourself up into third place instead of seventh at that first sector.

“I am well happy; the Smiths team has been awesome.”

After a few hours’ breather, Hicky was back out on Glencrutchery Road for the start of the four-lap Lightweight race on the KMR/IEG Racing Kawasaki.

Reaching Glen Helen on lap one, Hicky held sixth position, but was closing down the riders ahead on time and was up to fifth at Ramsey.

On the second lap he moved up a place to fourth and maintained that position to the grandstand where he pulled in for a quick refuel.

Ivan Lintin, who was holding fourth, was then forced into a long pitstop with an unlucky helmet problem, and Hicky overtook his fellow Lincolnshire rider on time to snatch third place.

He was too far away to make up any ground on the two leaders, but Hicky took the chequered flag for yet another podium.

“The bike ran perfectly again,” he said. “We made loads of changes at the start and I wasn’t too sure which way it would go, but it was the right move and here we are.

“I was a bit steady again on the first lap, and when Stefano Bonetti came past me I realised I needed to get my head down.

“I saw his pit board and it said P3 and although his bike is so fast mine is pretty quick, too. He kept passing me in a straight line then holding me up on the corners so I really had to dig in and I passed him again at Sulby Bridge.

“After that I pulled a gap and never saw him again. I’m happy with that result and with four races and four podiums I can’t really grumble.”

* Hicky is out again today (Thursday) in the second four-lap Supersport race, and then tomorrow (Friday) in the final race, the prestigious six-lap Senior TT.