Intrepid Road Racer Maria Costello Faces Setback at 2023 Isle of Man TT
Seasoned road racer Maria Costello MBE was set to make her mark at the 2023 Isle of Man TT, having planned to contest the Supertwins and Sidecar classes. The accomplished rider made history in 2019 when she became the first-ever female competitor to complete both a solo race and a Sidecar event at the prestigious TT.
Costello had joined forces with FHO Racing, the team that fields Peter Hickman in the premier classes, for her Sidecar campaign at this year’s event. However, her TT journey hit a setback during Monday’s practice session, when she crashed while riding her Supertwin machine. Costello was absent from the following two evenings of practice as a result.
On Thursday, just ahead of the penultimate practice session, the TT organizers announced on social media that Costello had been advised by the chief medical officer to sit out the remainder of the event due to her earlier crash. The brief statement expressed their wishes for a speedy recovery and looked forward to her continued punditry on the TT+ coverage.
Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Costello’s participation in the 2023 Isle of Man TT was seen as a significant milestone, as she was set to be the sole female competitor in the solo classes. Her absence from the remainder of the event is a disappointing development for Cycling enthusiasts who were eager to witness her prowess on the iconic 37.75-mile course.
The road racing action on the Isle of Man continues this evening, with the final practice session scheduled for Friday afternoon before the first Supersport race and Sidecar contest kick off the TT 2023 program on Saturday.
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