North West 200: Hickman races to podium double

Hickman registered second, third and fourth-place finishes as well as a 12th and 15th in his five races in Northern Ireland.

Thursday’s Supersport race didn’t go to plan as a mistake relegated him to a 12th-place finish.

In the Supertwin race a clutch problem forced Hickman to pull out at the end of lap two, but with the race red-flagged as he crossed the line he was given a finish of 15th.

His first podium finish came in the Supersport race on Saturday, riding the Trooper Beer Iron Maiden Kawasaki.

He finished in fourth place, but Lee Johnston’s 10-second penalty elevated the Lincolnshire rider into third.

“It was a brilliant result. The bike has been really good and handles mega.

“I did run on and had to stop at one of the chicanes which messed up my race. This time I was as far back as 10th or 11th at one stage, but I just got my head down and here we are.

“The Supersport class is never going to be my strongest because of my size so to end up on the podium is absolutely mega.”

Hicky was on the Speedfit GBmoto machine for the Superstock race which he began from the front row.

As the lights went out he was second away and then took the lead at the roundabout first time around. The race was stopped on the third lap and restarted to run over five laps.

Hickman made another good start and was third, up with the leaders and tucked in behind Ian Hutchinson who he passed on lap two.

He nipped through to take the lead at the roundabout on the third lap, but was pushed back to third and then to fourth on the run to the line for lap four.

Hicky was in fifth place for most of the lap, but on the final lap he moved through to fourth, and when Seeley missed his braking point, he took advantage and claimed second spot.

Hickman began his assault on the Superbike race from the middle of the second row and was quickly up to third.

A six-strong group riders challenged for the lead throughout with Hicky in a very close fifth place on lap three.

He moved up to fourth one lap later when another red flag brought the race to an early end.

A fatality in the Supertwin race saw the rest of the meeting abandoned.

The Lincolnshire rider now turns his attention to round three of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend.

The three-stage qualifying laps take place on Saturday at 2pm which set the grid for the first 30-lap race which starts at 1.30pm on Sunday.

The second race is at 3.30pm, again over 30 laps, of the short Indy Brands Hatch course.

Qualifying and both races will be screened live on British Eurosport 2.