Due to its dangerousness and its numerous fatal accidents, the Isle of Man TT will always give rise to a very lively debate between those who think that individual freedom has no price and those who object that it is life that does not. It's priceless.
Unfortunately this year will not escape the rule, since after the fatal accident which occurred to the 29-year-old Welshman Mark Purslow during qualifying, and a few days before the death of the 52-year-old Northern Irishman David Morgan during the third and final lap of the first Supersport race, it was the French crew César Chanal / Olivier Lavorel who paid a very heavy price for the deadly ordeal.
Riding their sidecar, the multiple French F2 champions, who were participating in the Tourist Trophy for the first time, lost control of their machine last Saturday at the famous Ago's Leap jump, in the first mile of the Mountain Race. There is talk of a collision with another sidecar stopped on the track.
The initial information from the organizers seemed erroneous, It is believed to be pilot César Chanal, from Bron, who was transferred by road to Noble Hospital in Douglas and then airlifted to Aintree Hospital in Liverpool in a critical condition, before succumbing to his injuries. His co-driver, Olivier Lavorel, 35, from Sillingy, Haute-Savoie, is in critical condition at the time of writing, although no update has been released.
The entire team sends its deepest condolences to César's family, friends and loved ones, and our thoughts and best wishes go to Olivier at this time.
