Since well before the emergence of the pandemic in 2020, the dominant forces at the solo TT have been Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman.

Between them they have won 32 races in the last six editions of the TT since 2018.

No fewer than 11 of Hickman’s total number of 14 wins to date have come on 1,000cc BMWs, whereas Dunlop has chalked up precisely half of his 18 over the same period in the Supersport class, including both races last year on the Ducati Panigale V2.

Dunlop has not won a Superstock race since 2014 and a Senior since 2017, indeed he has only registered two big-bike wins in the same period that Hicky has enjoyed 11 visits to the top step. The latter has certainly been the king of the big bikes, despite crashing out of the 2024 Senior and missing all of last year’s races following a big spill in qualifying on the Yamaha R7, caused by a mechanical issue.

In a concerted effort to get Michael firmly back on track in the bigger capacity classes, Hawk Racing guru Stuart Hicken recently purchased a Ducati V4 Panigale, a machine that many thought would put Dunlop back on top in the Superbike and Senior.

But the late arrival of the bike from Italy led to them pulling it out of the North West 200 and MD reverting to the tried-and-tested Fireblade and BMW, which he rode well, but perhaps were lacking the edge that the V4 might have provided.

The Mountain Course is a different kettle of fish and the handling of the Ducati will come into question all the more, so it will remain very much in the balance whether or not that machine will be left for another year while the teething issues are ironed out.

So, with Hickman still not quite 100 percent with his right shoulder after last year’s Kerrowmoar bang; his 8TEN Racing co-partner and team-mate Davey Todd sidelined by injury and Dunlop likely to be in a quandary which bike to go for, one rider will be quietly rubbing his hands in anticipation.

Dean Harrison has had a superb few weeks on his run-up to the TT, four top-five finishes in the opening two rounds of the British Supersport Championship (including third last Sunday at Donington), plus three runner-up slots in the NW200. He narrowly missed out on at least one good opportunity to break his Triangle duck when the feature race at the end of the day was cut short by a red flag.

The two Superbike races were won by non-TT riding BSB stars, while Harrison’s other runner-up slot came behind Dunlop in the Supersport race when the latter was on the Scars-Racing Ducati V2.

The only blemish on the week for the now Ballaugh-based Yorkshireman came in the Superstock race when the normally bulletproof ‘Blade rolled to a halt on lap two when he was at the front in another thrilling contest.

Two other riders to emerge from the NW200 on good form were Northern Ireland’s Paul Jordan and Australian Josh Brookes.

The latter was really in the mix on the DAO Racing machines, well on the pace in the three big capacity races. He is on record recently saying that he needs to take a few more risks on the roads to gain ultimate success, and he definitely looked hotter at the Triangle than previously.

If he carries that form through to the TT expect to see him making more than one visit to the podium, perhaps in the Supersport where again he was on it with the Carl Cox Motorsport Suzuki.

County Londonderry man Jordan has good pedigree on the Mountain Course having made his debut in 2017. He seems very happy with the Jackson Racing set-up and looked particularly impressive on the Aprilia in the Supertwin race where a lap-one overshoot at University corner almost certainly cost him the win.

Brookes and Jordan (particularly in the Supertwin/Sportbike class for the latter), are the two riders outside of the top three to keep an eye on over the coming fortnight, but there are numerous more.

Local man Conor Cummins will be marking 20 years since he made his TT debut as a 19-year-old in 2006.

He has set up his own team this year and will ride Michael Rutter’s Batham’s BMW in the Superbike and Senior which should give him a very good mount in those races. He also has his own Beemer for the Superstock and the North Lincs Components 750 Suzuki for the Supersport that Jim Hind rode last year.

The big man is always one to watch on his home course.

Other locals in the mix are likely to include Nathan Harrison, Mikey Evans, Joe Yeardsley and Marcus Simpson. The latter had good rides at both the Cookstown 100 and NW200.

Irishman Mike Browne had a slightly low-key North-West, but he was safely inside the top-10 in all four races he contested, which should translate to top-six in the TT. He could be one to watch for the Supersport and Sportbike classes on a 900 Yamaha and 650 Paton respectively.

Also include the evergreen Ian Hutchinson and John McGuinness – the latter in the 30th anniversary of his TT debut. Both rode well at the NW200.

Add to the list Jamie Coward, Davo Johnson, Dom Herbertson, Rob Hodson and several more including Barry Furber in the ‘Supertwin’ class now re-badged Sportbike in a confusing mix of capacities and machines that even has some of the riders and sponsors in a state of confusion, not least the spectators lining the hedgerows.

- Other locals include: Jamie Cringle on the Cosmic and CF Moto bikes, Dave Rigby (MannCann), Paul Cassidy (Rob Brew/PeLa Racing) and Jorge Halliday (Stanford Racing).

In addition to Davey Todd, who was ruled unfit to race either the North West 200 or the TT, other non-starters include Darryl Tweed of Northern Ireland and local Jamie Williams, winner of two MGPs last August.

Ballymoney man Tweed had been expected to break into the top-10 at the TT this year, but he crashed heavily at the North West 200 during the final Supersport qualifying session in a crash at Whins, after the Dhu Varren section of the coast road, when the front wheel of his bike tucked.

In a collision with a wall, he suffered fractures to his legs and back.

Last year he became the first rider from Northern Ireland to win the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) Superbike title.

Local rider Williams, another winner in the IRRC series, posted this on his JLG Racing page earlier this week: ‘Hi everyone, unfortunately I have some extremely difficult news to share with you all. Due to circumstances outside of our control, we have been forced to withdraw our entry from the TT.

‘To say we are devastated is an understatement. After everything the team, NCE Racing and our sponsors have put in over the winter to prepare for this next step towards the TT, this is not a situation we expected or wanted.

‘We would like to apologise to everyone involved and sincerely thank all of those who have supported us throughout this process.’

He asked that people do not speculate and instead respect what is a very tough situation for all concerned. His focus and full attention will be on continuing the 2026 campaign as per calendar and remain fully committed to returning and making the TT step-up in 2027.

- Don’t miss Media Isle of Man’s free TT News supplements inside the Isle of Man Examiner and Manx Independent over the next two weeks.

Each edition will be packed with features, reports and all the latest news from this year’s TT festival.

Digital editions can be bought online at https://www.iomtoday.co.im/subscription/digital_subscriptions, while print subscriptions can be ordered by calling 01624 695623.