Police probe 'sabotage' allegations after road race abandoned
Isle of Man TT winner Ryan Farquhar has hit out at vandals who forced organisers to call off Saturday’s Mid-Antrim 150.
Extensive oil spills around the course led to a major clean-up and delays. Those factors, coupled with the addition of rain, left organisers with no choice but to abandon the meeting.
According to the Belfast Telegraph the Police Service of Northern Ireland was informed and a spokesman confirmed a police investigation into the incident is ongoing. He said a deliberate spillage was one line of inquiry being pursued.
Clerk of the Course Jack Agnew told the newspaper it would have been wrong to risk riders' safety by proceeding with the event.
He was quoted as saying:
“We did our best to run the event, but I wasn't prepared to risk the safety of riders.”
Multiple Duke Road Race Rankings winner, and current series leader, Farquhar was left frustrated and disappointed.
He said:
“It’s a great shame when an oil spillage results in the meeting being cancelled and if it was deliberate then that makes it even worse.”
“Accidents and weather can disrupt things and we accept that, but this was something totally different and it’s not fair to all those people – riders, organisers, fans – who make the meeting happen.”
The KMR Kawasaki rider had been looking forward to adding to his Irish National road race victory haul at Mid-Antrim.
Practice, on Friday evening, went without a hitch and Farquhar claimed pole position for all his races.
When organisers and competitors arrived at the Clough circuit on Saturday, they found most of it had been covered in oil and a major clean-up operation was required.
While that took place, the situation was further hampered by rain fall and although some riders, including Farquhar, were prepared to race, many weren’t and the organisers made the decision to call the meeting off.
Dungannon’s Farquhar added:
“Practice had gone well for me and I was happy with the performance of the bikes so I was looking forward to a good day’s racing, as was everyone else, but a minority denied the whole paddock that opportunity.”
“All we can do is put this behind us, hope it never happens again and look forward to Dundrod and the Ulster Grand Prix.”