The far-reaching impact of cancelling motorcycling's greatest race

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a merciless spectre of death which has enveloped the world, with the number of confirmed infections racing past the one million mark and showing no signs of slowing down, while deaths have surpassed 50,000.

As world governments throw their countries into lockdown, enforce strict social-distancing measures to quell the spread and ease the immense strain exacted on health care systems, the world of sport has been derailed as event after event is either postponed or cancelled.

While there is still hope for the likes of Formula 1, MotoGP and World Superbikes that they will have some form of 2020 campaign, motorcycle road racing has had its year utterly decimated by the crisis. Most national events in Ireland have been scrapped, with a handful postponed, while the major internationals have suffered the same fate - including the flagship Isle of Man TT.

Being a fan of road racing and being involved in it already leaves one with a conflict of emotions: it's wildly dangerous, but - where is appropriate - we rush to its defense and live for the thrill of it. It seems odd, then, to insist on everyone keeping safe by staying indoors, while longing to be sat on a garden wall or in a hedge row watching arguably the most dangerously exhilarating form of motorsport on the planet.

However, our frankly trivial desire to go racing given the circumstances aside, the loss of the TT is a devastating thing.

"The only thing I feel [sorry] from it is you've got to look at the other side of things; the economy and things like that," three-time TT winner Dean Harrison (below) told Autosport.

"It's going to have a massive knock-on effect for people, the business and things like that again. But what do you do?"

Though the TT may take place on a fairly innocuous lump of rock in the middle of the Irish sea, it is renowned worldwide as a sort of 'Mecca' for motorcycle racing and enthusiasts.

There can be no way of knowing whether, had the TT not been cancelled and 40,000-odd people travelled to the island, a second outbreak would have resulted and very quickly overwhelmed the Isle of Man

Even after it lost its grand prix World Championship status after 1976, the TT has continued to electrify hearts and minds across the globe, with the island beckoning tens of thousands of people every year to come and witness a spectacle like no other. And it is the TT that sustains much of the island.

In 2019, a total of 46,174 people visited the Isle of Man during TT fortnight, according to figures published in the TT Visitor Survey. They stayed an average of 6.8 nights and spent an average of £801. This equates to £37.5million and a Manx national income boost of £27.1m.

Travel packages for TT tend to go on sale in May, just prior to the current year's event running - meaning a huge amount of business is being generated a year in advance.

The cancellation of this year's TT completely wipes out that revenue, while the local businesses - restaurants, pubs, B&Bs, etc - won't make anywhere near the same profits they'd expect to normally.

The Manx government has put plans in place to offer financial assistance to "businesses in sectors of strategic importance". However, Tynwald's "tiered range of financial support" for the accommodation sector won't cover B&Bs and campsites.

Currently, the Classic TT event scheduled for August is still going ahead. Should that be able to proceed, this could go some way to softening the financial blow over the loss of the TT. But the Classic TT is a far smaller event which doesn't bring in anywhere near the same numbers of visitors as the main event does.

With the TT not due to start till May, some questioned whether the decision was too hasty when it came two weeks ago. But the immensely complicated logistics involved in running the TT meant, with all of the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it just wasn't possible to guarantee the running of the event.

There's also no guaranteeing exactly how out of danger the world will be when the virus curve flattens. There can be no way of knowing whether, had the TT not been cancelled and 40,000-odd people travelled to the island, a second outbreak would have resulted and very quickly overwhelmed the Isle of Man.

Noble's Hospital on the island has to keep five beds free throughout TT fortnight in the event of any accidents on circuit. That just wouldn't be possible if even one person got sick. As Harrison all too rightly points out: "The Isle of Man's got quite a high percentage of elderly people and you want to keep them at the least risk as possible."

According to estimates, around 35% of the Manx population is aged 55 or over - or, to put it simply, well inside the COVID-19 high-risk bracket. An early cancellation means businesses can at least attempt to prepare themselves better for the impending financial mauling.

Postponing TT 2020 was an option, but the fact that rider availability could be harder due to some of the top runners' other racing commitments - which will be even more hectic when we do finally get underway - means it's all systems go for TT 2021.

With no action giving coverage to any of their sponsors, which are themselves likely having to tighten their belts right now, the money available for racing may be reduced even further in 2021

But there could well be a knock-on effect for TT 2021, particularly for the privateer runners. As TT lap record-holder Peter Hickman put it when approached by Autosport: "A lot of proper privateers will technically save money because they won't have to spend it [on racing].

"Racing costs money, so if they're having a year out they've got a chance - fingers crossed, as long as they're normal job's alright and unaffected, which obviously a lot of jobs are affected right now - then they've maybe got a chance to recoup and maybe save a bit more ready for 2021."

But it's that caveat Hickman (below) mentions about jobs being unaffected which is the sticking point. Unlike when TT 2001 was cancelled because of the foot and mouth disease outbreak, which didn't shut down the planet, so many people's lives have been put on hold - as have their income streams.

The UK government is offering financial support, but reasonably none of that money coming to any privateer rider who may be out of work right now will be spent on racing. Depending on how long the world is on pause for, the smaller the money pot will be for many riders to go racing with next year.

And with no action giving coverage to any of their sponsors, which are themselves likely having to tighten their belts right now, the money available for racing may be reduced even further.

And because of the way road racing is, it's not as if there is a commercial rights holder or a major governing body in the background able to offer financial support.

Now, that's not to suggest TT 2021 will have a massively depleted field, but it's not unreasonable to think that the number of starters could take a hit depending on how long the current crisis continues.

Ultimately, though, the Manx government had no choice but to scrap TT 2020. As sad as it is, safety of its citizens must come first. And at least the task of helping the businesses who will be hit hardest by this can begin now.

Whenever the TT comes in for scrutiny for its dangers by the outside world, the same phrase is always uttered: two World Wars couldn't stop it, foot and mouth couldn't stop it. No matter how grim the new reports portray the world right now, you can sure as hell bet that COVID-19 won't stop the TT...

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