Michael Dunlop hints at Isle of Man TT pace after “sandbagging” theory
Question marks about Michael Dunlop "🌌sandbagging" at Isle of Man TT answered on Sunday
Michael Dunlop responded to suggestions about “sandba🅠gging” by showing hi🎉s speed on Sunday at the Isle of Man TT.
Dunlop topped the fifth Superbike q🤪ualifying session, the last before racing is set to begin on✱ Monday.
Prior to Sunday afternoon he had trailed Dean Harrison on the big bikes which led some onlookers to question whether he had 🧸more lap time in his pocket🍌.
Ex-TT ra🍌cer Cameron Donald said on Sunday: “Now with these last laps, it’s not a time for riders and teams to be reinventing the wheel.
“It’s a time for small and calculated changes. It’s time to say ‘that🐲 is what I will race with’.”
Tom Birchall said before Sunday's running began: “We are seeing gu🐷ys get into the groove, with the performance of Davey Todd in the past few days.
“Something𒉰 has clicked. They have got a direction.
“We are seeing Dunlౠop just finding his feet now. Hopefully the sandbagging rumours aren’t true, and🌼 he has actually found a direction to move forwards in.”
Donald said about Dunlo🌌p: “He’s probably playing the game a bit.&nbsꦫp;
“We know how good the bike is, and how fast Michael has been at the North West 200. Surely hꦡe’ꦇs holding a bit back?
“He does like to play the ‘us against them’ card. I am starting to feel like he might be doing t🍷hat again, because you know the ability he has.”
Birchall said: “He is the Superbike lap record holder. If you study his sectors, he went quicker than Davey in the last one. It’s clear to see on ൩🎀paper.
“They are finding a direction or they are throwi�🔥�ng sandbags off!”
Michael Dunlop fastest on Sunday at Isle of Man TT
Dunlop then duly headed out to the Mountain Co💝urse on Sunday afternoon to produce his best lap of the ꩲweek at 132.003mph.
Harrison managed 130🐼.666mph on the Superbikes, and Todd 129.812mph.
Birchall reac🍌ted: “None of us can read Mi✃chael’s body language.
“That 1’32s lap is a big boost for those guys. He di🍬d it with a pitlane start and a short lap.”
However, Donald noted: “Other 🍃front runners only did one lap before jumping on another machine. Michael focused both laps on a Superbike which confirms there is work tওo do.
“He started to get his shoulders up and was firing it into the corners🦹.
“How much is due to improve♛ments on the b𒉰ike and how much is because he’s got the bit between his teeth?”
Dunlop smashed his ⛦legendary uncle Joey’s record for TT race wins a year ago.
He returns this year try♔ing to add to his tally of 29.
Harrison and Todd seem to be his closest competitors. 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结♛💞果历史:Peter Hickman has been ruled out after a crash on Friday.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything𒅌 from American sports, to footba♏ll, to F1.
