Roads Rider of the Year: 4th: Ben & Tom Birchall

After another epic season of racing, MCN’s sports team of Michael Guy (Sports Editor), Simon Patterson (MotoGP Reporter) and Oli Rushby (Superbike Reporter) sat down to discuss who impressed them the most in each race series we cover to establish MCN’s top five riders in each category.

And with this year’s record-breaking road racing season, it wasn’t an easy call to decide who deserved what spot in our top five riders of the year in the class. Here’s what we think –  but feel free to disagree with us in the comments!

Roads Rider of the Year: 4th – Ben & Tom Birchall

Ben and Tom Birchall re-wrote the history books with a record-breaking second successive double victory in the Sidecar class at this year’s Isle of Man TT.

The Mansfield duo obliterated their own lap record to set the first ever sub-19 minute with an average speed of 119.250mph in this year’s second sidecar outing.

Having been the first Sidecar racers to lap the mountain course at 117mph in 2017, they’d go on to break their three-wheeled lap record three times during this year’s TT, once from a standing start in the opening race before becoming the first riders to lap the course at 118mph and then 119mph in Friday’s outing, proving the pairing as untouchable around the 37.73-mile course at present.

Their two victories at this year’s event mean they have now gone five races unbeaten at the TT.