Motorcycling-Czech rider Holan named as North West 200 fatality

Czech Kamil Holan was named by ​organisers on Friday as ​the Superbike rider who ‌died during ​qualifying for a road race at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland. The Czech, from Prague, had raced ⁠previously ​in the North ⁠West 200 as well as at the Isle of Man TT races.

Czech Kamil Holan was named by ​organisers on Friday as ​the Superbike rider who ‌died during ​qualifying for a road race at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland. The 48-year-old crashed ‌at the fast Station Corner on Thursday but was not identified at the time at the request of his family, who gave approval for ‌the event to continue.

Holan was the first fatality in the North ‌West 200 since British rider Malachi Mitchell-Thomas died in 2016, and the 20th since the first edition of the event in 1929. The Czech, from Prague, had raced ⁠previously ​in the North ⁠West 200 as well as at the Isle of Man TT races. His father ⁠Ivo died two weeks ago.

"Kamil will forever hold a special place in ​Manx Grand Prix history as the first rider from the Czech ⁠Republic to win a Manx Grand Prix race when he claimed victory in the ⁠2012 ​newcomers A race," The Manx Motorcycle Club said in a statement. "He went on to achieve an outstanding fifth-place finish in the ⁠2014 Senior Manx Grand Prix before progressing to compete at the Isle ⁠of Man TT ⁠between 2015 and 2018."

The North West 200 is held on closed public roads between the towns of ‌Portstewart, Coleraine ‌and Portrush.