A man has died competing in the Isle of Man TT Races, organisers have confirmed.
Raul Torras Martinez, 46, was killed in a crash during the first Supertwin Race of the year.
The accident occurred at Alpine, between the 16th and 17th mile markers on the final of the three-lap race.
A statement from the organisers said: “Raul was an experienced TT competitor who made his debut in 2017, with a best result of 15th in last year’s Supertwin Race.
“He recorded his fastest ever lap of the TT Mountain Course earlier today in the Superstock Race, with a lap at an average speed of 125.470mph whilst securing a 20th-place finish.
“Raul was the fastest Spaniard ever to have lapped the TT course.”
Mr Martinez competed in 21 TT races and earned a total of 18 Bronze Replica trophies.
Passing on their “deepest sympathy” to Mr Martinez’s family, friends and loved ones, the organisers described him as an “incredibly popular member of the paddock family” with an infectious smile.
Last year, a father and son were killed during the competition.
Driver Roger Stockton, 56, and 21-year-old passenger Bradley, from Crewe, died following an incident at Ago’s Leap on the final lap of the second sidecar race.
Last month, Gary Thompson, boss of the TT told Sky News that riders have to accept risks, while insisting the event is doing more than ever to improve safety.
“We try to manage risk much better than was done in the past,” he said.
“The riders sign on, they know that risk. And, almost for them, that’s the challenge. For us, we manage that risk without taking away that challenge.”
The TT takes place over a two-week period and brings together motorcycle road racers from across the globe. The first week is dominated by practice sessions followed by a week of racing.
The Supertwin race involves twin-cylinder 700cc machines derived from middleweight road motorcycles turned into racing bikes.
