tourist trophy 2020

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2024 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES

27th May – 8th June

‘TOURIST TROPHY’: OUT NOW

‘Tourist Trophy’, the feature-length documentary film covering the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races, is out now and available to stream for FREE on TT+

Directed by accomplished documentary maker, Adam Kaleta, the film is an authentic, true-to-life portrayal of the 2022 TT Races, following several of the event’s leading competitors as they navigate the highs and lows of racing on the Mountain Course.

The film follows several of the leading protagonists who competed at the 2022 event and allows us to better rationalise the TT mind-set through the authentic portrayal of each rider’s TT story.

There’s the determination of Mike Russell as he strives to compete in every race; the highly-anticipated newcomer, Glenn Irwin, who finds his meticulous preparation is challenged by the two-week emotional rollercoaster; and his legendary team-mate, John McGuinness MBE, whose 100th TT race start leads to some searching questions for the 50-year-old. We also follow the journey of the record-breaking sidecar constructors, Tom and Ben Birchall, while no film about today’s TT would be complete without Peter Hickman, the fastest rider ever around the TT Mountain Course – and arguably the man of the moment.

‘Tourist Trophy’ is available to stream exclusively on TT+, the event’s free-to-register digital platform.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

The film’s release will also coincide with the launch of the 2023 TT+ Live Pass . With an expanded ten-race programme in 2023 , the TT+ Live Pass continues to represent incredible value for money, delivering 11 days of edge-of-your-seat live coverage to your favourite screen or device via the TT+ digital platform.

To celebrate the release of ‘Tourist Trophy’, advance purchasers of the 2023 TT+ Live Pass can take advantage of our limited-time offer and secure theirs for the same 2022 price of £14.99 .

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Keep the buzz of the TT alive all-year round thanks to an unmissable line-up of new free to watch content coming exclusively to TT+ this Autumn.

The Department for Enterprise has today confirmed the final schedule for the 2023 Isle of Man TT Races.

New, feature-length documentary film covering the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races will launch in late November, exclusively to TT+

'TOURIST TROPHY' - STREAMING NOW

Movie Review: Tourist Trophy

Fear is the most primal of human emotions. It’s the most powerful feeling in the world, regulating one’s every move and thought, lest it be their last.

Fear and the Isle of Man go hand-in-hand. It is a place reserved for a different breed of motorcycle rider, a place that brings not just fear but equals it out with an adrenalin kick unattainable anywhere else this side of a wingman suit or illicit drugs.

Those who race the Isle of Man know what they’re doing, they know the risks, and they know the consequence if it all goes wrong. This breed of person you don’t meet often in everyday life, and this is one of the primary features of the new movie, Tourist Trophy .

This is the first feature-length film since the roaringly successful Closer To The Edge epic of 2011 that the now retired Guy Martin made his own, so Tourist Trophy has some big shoes to fill. The TT has changed much since that time over a decade ago, but then, it hasn’t changed at all, and that’s one of the endearing factors of the race.

Tourist Trophy focuses on six riders and their individual tales from the 37 ¾ mile street course. Rookie and young father Glenn Irwin on the factory Honda, his teammate and 23-time TT winner John McGuinness, the current master of the TT, Peter Hickman, sidecar brothers Ben and Tom Birchall, and Michael “Jack” Russell, who attempted to become the first man in TT history to finish every single event in a year—Superbike, Superstock, Super Twins, Supersport, Sidecar, and the Senior TT.

Tourist Trophy has some exceptional videography scattered throughout. The onboard shots are as close as you will get to actually being on the motorcycle, and the brilliant slow-motion shots really show the hammering the motorcycles take during a given race.

Listening to how Peter Hickman attacks the course, or how McGuinness ensures his mind is firmly on the job is enthralling as he taps into a level of concentration few humans will ever attain. Another part that really got me was Glenn Irwin’s reaction after his first laps of the TT course, a feeling I know only too well as I was a rookie with him this year, too.

Michael “Jack” Russell is, for me, the man of the film. This is what the TT is about, grafters who put everything on the line simply to compete, with no real hope of getting a major result. The privateers are what make the TT what it is, and Russell’s never-say-die approach is the highlight of the movie.

However, what Tourist Trophy does not do is adequately convey the bad side of the TT, which is just as important as the heroics performed on the track. Six riders (Mark Purslow, sidecar duo Cesar Chanal and Olivier Lavorel, Davy Morgan, and father and son sidecar pairing Roger and Bradley Stockton) lost their lives this year. The film does not mention either their names or the fact there were fatalities at all until towards the end of the film, which I thought was a shame and to the detriment of the film.

This fact took some of the shine off an otherwise very good movie. Tourist Trophy shows the TT in its best light, and you can’t blame the directors for that. I would have liked a cameo from the man primarily responsible for making the TT the incredible event that it is in Paul Phillips, the man who has done so much to ensure the longevity and safety of the most dangerous race in the world as his insight into the race would have given the movie a slightly different angle. And to have the rookie liaison officers of John Barton and the hilarious Richard ‘Milky’ Quale, not on camera was a bummer.

Tourist Trophy will doubtless bring new fans into the fold, which is objective number one for a film such as this. All criticisms aside, it’s a great watch and will likely leave you with that sudden urge to check your annual leave to see the event and experience the fear for yourself.

Tourist Trophy is free to watch on TT+, the TT’s free-to-register digital platform, and streams from 19:30 GMT on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.

For more Isle of Man TT news and features, click here

MotoAmerica Mini Cup Expands To Six Rounds For 2023

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy 2020

Dec 4, 2019 8:00:00 AM / by TONIT NEWS

The countdown is on! 179 days, 0 hours, 51 minutes, 47 sec - no, 46 seconds until the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy 2020 . It’s been called The Greatest Road Race on Earth, and judging by the ever-increasing top speeds, decreasing lap times, and thrilling new categories, it seems to get a little greater every year.

The very first race in 1907 saw Triumph , Norton , Matchless, and other classics duelling for the prize. Today, you’ll still see those names alongside a diverse display of machines, including the top three all-time trophy winners: Honda , Yamaha , and Suzuki .

In 1907, the top lap speed was set by Rem Fowler’s twin-cylinder Norton at 43mph (69kmh). 2018 has seen the fastest lap speed yet by Peter Hickman on a BMW S1000 RR - 135mph (218kmh)!

Although the past two decades have seen an influx of everyone’s favourite Superbikes and Supersports winning the coveted trophy, you don’t have to be a Super rider to appreciate the challenging courses and amazing location of the IOMTT. There are several categories ranging from sidecar to superstock to lightweight.

The unpredictable weather is just another competitor on the island, but it happens to have the unique ability to cancel entire races - the courses are risky enough without a thick curtain of fog and mist obscuring rider vision. Several races in 2019 were shut down or cut short due to the unsafe conditions. Records are waiting to be broken - we’ll see what the mix of weather and riders brings in 2020.

Has anybody bought tickets yet? Something to consider if, like the TONIT team, you are at the start of the winter doldrums. Check out www.iomtt.com/ for more details. (By the way, if any TONIT user signs up to race in the Newcomers class, we sure would love to hear from you!)

Photo: Isle of Man TT Races

Tags: Motorcycle News , Ilse of Man , Motorcycle Events

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50 years ago in Expo history: Arkansas, New Jersey, Missouri, New Hampshire, Moscow? Governors and a Soviet tourism official had their day at the fair

Plenty of dignitaries were on hand at Expo ’74, including four governors and a Russian delegation.

The governors were Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, Brendan Byrne of New Jersey, Christopher Bond of Missouri and Meldrim Thompson of New Hampshire.

Two other governors had visited the day before: Philip Noel of Rhode Island and Bruce King of New Mexico.

The U.S.S.R. delegation included Alena Porkhatcheva, a Moscow official with Soviet tour company Intourist, who urged Americans to visit Russia. She said the average cost of accommodation in Moscow was $27 a day – and that included breakfast. She also said it was easy to get a visa.

From 100 years ago: Raymond Brown, 14, an orphan at the Hutton Settlement, died when he and two other boys attempted to dig a cave in a nearby sand bank.

Another boy, Roy Van Cleave, 12, was able to wriggle out before the sand covered him. He and another boy ran a quarter-mile to the orphanage to get help, but when rescuers arrived, it was too late. It took them 15 minutes to dig the boy’s body out of the sand.

The Hutton superintendent said that “everyone here is grief-stricken.”

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1862: Robert E. Lee takes command of Confederate armies of North Virginia during the American Civil War.

1896: Italian engineer and inventor Guglielmo Marconi applies for the first ever patent for a system of wireless telegraphy in the United Kingdom

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Jordan: Cristiano is a big inspiration

Jordan Santos discusses his career triumphs, triple act with the Martins twins and belief that Portugal can win UAE 2024 Dubai.

Jordan discusses winning world titles and the Best Player award

He backs Portugal to win UAE 2024 Dubai

Jordan hails Cristiano Ronaldo and the Martins twins

Jordan Alexandre Grilo Santos was born in a land where ice hockey rules and named after basketball’s GOAT. Yet if any place in Canada was going to bear someone who would earn his crust playing a sand sport in a red uniform, it is Leamington, Ontario. It is known, after all, as ‘The Sun Parlour of Canada’ – despite temperatures reaching as low as minus 32°C – and ‘The Tomato Capital of Canada’. When Jordan was just three months old, his family relocated to Nazare – one of the most popular tourist destinations of Portugal’s ‘Silver Coast’. He has gone on to unearth silver and gold galore. Jordan has lifted the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™ trophy – made from the two lavish, lustrous chemical elements – twice. He has won multiple Mundialitos and European titles. He seized the adidas Silver Ball at Paraguay 2019. He was named the planet’s Best Player in 2019. “Now I’m fully satisfied,” he said after the latter triumph. “Now I’ve won everything.” It was a good job. Soon into the following year Jordan had to undergo a knee operation. It turned into two. He was out for one-and-a-half years. Jordan had all but decided to quit, but was persuaded out of it by his close ones. “Phew,” is his reaction to that now. Jordan is no longer “fully satisfied”. He is, by contrast, desperate to use his ‘Left foot of gold’ to become a tricampeão in February’s global finals in Dubai.

FIFA: When you were starting out, it was very difficult to make a career out of beach soccer and many people tried to talk you out of it, right? FIFA: When you were starting out, it was very difficult to make a career out of beach soccer and many people tried to talk you out of it, right?

Jordan: A lot of people called me crazy. Beach soccer wasn’t as developed as it is today. Only those who were really outstanding could make a living from it. But I believed in myself. I felt that I had what it took to become one of the few who made it. I knew it would take a lot of hard work, but I knew I would put in that hard work. My grandmother always believed in me and backed me. She told me to follow my dream, to give it everything. Thanks to her help and my determination, here I am, living my dream.

One dream must have been lifting the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2015… One dream must have been lifting the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2015…

It was really special for a couple of reasons: it was my first Beach Soccer World Cup title, and we won it at home, in front of our families and friends, amid that amazing atmosphere. We already felt a good, strong energy during our preparations for the World Cup. We felt that, playing at home, the energy of our supporters would spur us on to the title. They were fantastic and that’s what happened. It was one of the best moments of my career. It is unforgettable and, even now, it makes me really happy thinking about it.

In 2015 legends such as Alan, Belchior and Madjer dazzled for Portugal, but in 2019 you played the lead role in the nation’s triumph… In 2015 legends such as Alan, Belchior and Madjer dazzled for Portugal, but in 2019 you played the lead role in the nation’s triumph…

2019 was a really special year for me. I won a lot. I went into the World Cup having just won the Best Player in the world award, so I had that extra responsibility, though it was healthy responsibility. Fortunately, 2019 was a bit like 2015. There was a good energy in the squad. We went into the World Cup following a very good year. We won the European title, the Mundialito, and we were very confident. Our players were in very good form and fortunately we played a great tournament and emerged victorious.

How did it feel when you were named Best Player at the Beach Soccer Stars Gala in Dubai? How did it feel when you were named Best Player at the Beach Soccer Stars Gala in Dubai?

A little bit of everything was passing through my head. Everything that I had dreamed of since I was a kid, worked towards. It was the realisation of a dream. I knew I was making constant progress, year after year, and that year was really memorable because all the sacrifices I had made were worth it. I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders in 2019, so to win the Best Player award was an amazing feeling. There are so many great players in the world, so it was very rewarding.

You had two serious knee injuries and came close to retiring in 2021, right? You had two serious knee injuries and came close to retiring in 2021, right?

Yes. It wasn’t just down to the injury, but also to trying to cope with it mentally. I’d had a wonderful year in 2019 and then, in my first competition in 2020, that happened to my knee. At first I was calm. I thought, ‘It happens. I’ll recover’, but I seemed to suffer setback after setback. I had to undergo another operation. It didn’t go well. I was doing everything I could to no avail. I was asking myself, ‘Why can’t I get back in shape? Why am I in pain? Why did this happen to me?’ It was very tough mentally, but thanks to my family and closest friends, who didn’t let me give up, I was able to believe the sacrifice would be worth it in the long run. Now I’m recovered. I still have a couple of limitations, but I feel in good shape for the World Cup.

How many teams can win this World Cup? How many teams can win this World Cup?

Portugal, Brazil, Iran… I have these three as the principal contenders. Then you’ve got Italy, Spain and Japan, who could all win it.

Brazil have won the last seven competitions they have entered. What do you think of this Brazil side? Brazil have won the last seven competitions they have entered. What do you think of this Brazil side?

Brazil are always title contenders. In every competition they enter, you could call them the title favourites. They’re really talented. I think Brazil are really strong, but a World Cup is a World Cup. Portugal, Iran, Italy, Spain… I think Brazil against any of those teams would be a 50-50 because it’s a World Cup. I think all those national teams are mentally prepared to face Brazil, but Brazil are Brazil.

Can you talk about the rivalry between Brazil and Portugal? Can you talk about the rivalry between Brazil and Portugal?

We’re the two countries with the most history in the discipline. We speak the same language, we know practically all of their players, we’ve played together so many times for different clubs. I think Brazilian and Portuguese players are the most talented in the world. It’s always a really competitive game between Portugal and Brazil.

Are you confident Portugal will emerge triumphant? Are you confident Portugal will emerge triumphant?

Yes. I feel we’re on the verge of something special. We have young players, but young players with experience. Our national team – almost all our players – have won the World Cup, but we’re still young. We have this youth on our side. I think we’re very well prepared to win this world title. We know it will be very difficult. Every team that plays against Portugal gives that bit extra because of who we are. It’s the same for Brazil. You’re not going to win a World Cup by being comfortably ahead in every game. We know there will be moments when our backs will be against the wall, when we’ll have to dig deep, but we have players who have done this time and time again. We believe in ourselves.

They say your left foot is worth gold… They say your left foot is worth gold…

(laughs) It’s a nice compliment, but my team-mates help me a lot. I know what I’m capable of, what qualities I bring, that I’m an important player in our national team. They call me ‘Left-Foot of Gold’ because, when we’ve been up against it on a few occasions, my left foot has produced some crucial strikes. I hope it does it again at the World Cup.

What do you think of the twins as players? What do you think of the twins as players?

They play on the sand like they’re playing on grass. They have unique ability. I think they are very different players from everyone else, they have exceptional talent. I think we needed players with their characteristics, and they’ve helped improve Portugal a lot. We are very lucky to have them, because playing against them would be really tough.

There have been some great triple acts in beach soccer history, but do you think you and the twins form the best one? There have been some great triple acts in beach soccer history, but do you think you and the twins form the best one?

I think that given what we’ve achieved together, we’re up there. I think it’s difficult to make comparisons between different generations, but we have a little advantage because we’ve achieved what we have when beach soccer was more difficult. Nowadays there are no weak teams in big tournaments, it’s much harder to win titles. I’m not taking away from the other great trios that Portugal, Brazil have had, because they inspired us to get where we are today, but I believe me and the twins form one of – if not the – strongest trio in history.

Why were you at Straight Blast Gym in Dublin? Why were you at Straight Blast Gym in Dublin?

I really like the UFC, MMA. I follow it a lot. Not because I like violence, but because of the dedication that fighters have to have, the physical shape they have to be in. It resonates with me. I go through some of the things fighters do: the sacrifice, all the training, eating well. For me Conor McGregor is to MMA what Cristiano Ronaldo is to football. So, for my stag do, I got some friends together and decided I had to step foot in the gym he trains at.

Speaking of Ronaldo, how did it feel to meet him at the Portuguese FA’s Quinas de Ouro Gala? Speaking of Ronaldo, how did it feel to meet him at the Portuguese FA’s Quinas de Ouro Gala?

I couldn’t believe I was near him. It was incredible. I asked him for a photo as soon as I could to make sure I didn’t miss out! He hugged me. It was a real hug. That was the moment I realised he is a human being, because I doubted he was born on the same planet as the rest of us. He’s one of the greatest athletes not just in football history, but in the whole of sport. He’s a big inspiration. He’s also a really nice person. It was a dream to be near him.

I guess we know where you stand on the Messi-Ronaldo debate… I guess we know where you stand on the Messi-Ronaldo debate…

I love Messi too. I’d put him in the top three players I’ve ever seen play. I’m not saying Cristiano is the greatest because he’s Portuguese – honestly I’m not – but because of everything he’s achieved over all these years, the success he’s had playing for different teams. I think, for every side he’s played for, Cristiano has been more decisive than Messi. I have great admiration for Messi, but I would choose Cristiano.

Finally, back to your own sport, who do you think is the best player in the world right now? Finally, back to your own sport, who do you think is the best player in the world right now?

I can’t be unjust: I think Rodrigo of Brazil has been in great form. Brazil have competed in a lot of competitions, won a lot, so I think that gives Rodrigo an advantage [for the Best Player award].