BMW’s Michael Dunlop has equalled his 2012 win tally of four with his first-ever victory in the Isle of Man Senior TT this afternoon in perfect conditions and now has a total of 11 winner’s trophies in his cabinet taking him to fifth on the all-time winners' list alongside Steve Hislop and Phillip McCallen.
The Ballymoney man crossed the line 14s ahead of Ramsey's Conor Cummins with Guy Martin in third place, a further 9.671s behind the Honda rider.
Dunlop had to slow down for waved yellows at Les Graham Memorial as his brother William had fallen from the Tyco Suzuki. He is reportedly stable and conscious, and has been taken to Noble’s Hospital by air ambulance with a suspected broken leg.
A Titanic scrap for fourth place ended with outright lap record holder Bruce Anstey finally edging out James Hiller by just 1.448s while John McGuinness ended in sixth place and Josh Brookes bagged his best-ever result in only his second year on the island, taking seventh place and was only six seconds behind McGuinness.
Manxman Dan Kneen ended in eighth place, passing Michael Rutter late with Australian David Johnson charging into tenth place on the last lap.
Peter Hickman marmalised the newcomer’s lap record on his Superstock-spec Ice Valley BMW, setting a 129.104mph on the last circuit to snatch 11th. Cumbrian Dan Stewart was 12th while Ian Hutchinson will be disappointed with his 13th place. Dan Cooper ended the day in 14th, Ian Mackman 15th and Ivan Lintin 16th.
Dean Harrison, who had been sitting in fourth place for most of the race, was forced to retire at the end of Sulby Straight on lap three.
William Dunlop led at Glen Helen the first time out with Cummins 1.364s in arrears, Martin third, Dean Harrison fourth and McGuinness in fifth.
At Ballaugh, the lead was down to 0.854, with Martin only 0.843 slower and Harrison just 0.060 further back. Michael Dunlop began his charge and Dan Kneen in fourth.
Michael Dunlop took the lead on the run to the grandstand on lap one and was never headed again. An opening lap of 130.629mph was enough to seal the deal and all he did was expand the gap to more than 12s for most of the race.
William Dunlop came back at his younger brother on lap two but the lead was up to seven seconds at the grandstand but Martin wasn’t done, following William Dunlop into the pits with just a 0.450s gap. Cummins was fourth with Harrison fifth.
With William’s crash at Les Graham, Cummins inherited second place and make it stick as Martin had no answer for his charge. The battle for fourth, however, was a back and forward affair between Hillier and Anstey.
Hillier had a 3.112s lead at the end of lap three which was down to 1.062 by Glen Helen. Anstey had halved it again by Ballaugh and it was just 0.153 at Ramsey but on the charge up the Mountain, Hillier had expanded it to 2.518s.
However, at the Grandstand Anstey was leading by 3.426s. At Glen Helen, however, it Hiller who was fourth by just 0.313s. Anstey remained in fifth until Ballaugh on lap six but Hillier was back in front again at Ramsey by 0.996s. Anstey, however, got it back over the mountain and took fourth by 1.448s.
