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Top Ten Road Racers Of 2018: No.9 Adam McLean

Finishing ninth in Road Racing News top ten riders of the 2018 roads season is, Ulster GP Super Twins victor Adam McLean.

Building on an impressive 2017 campaign, this years roads season for the hugely talented McLean who linked up with the highly respected McAdoo Kawasaki outfit, has yielded multiple top class results, prodigious moments and seen him jump up a level or two.

Amongst a vast array of high points from the Irish national meetings, have included Super Twins success at Cookstown, multiple rostrum finishes at the newly reincarnated Enniskillen Road Races and finishing runner up in an enthralling Supersport encounter at Armoy.

For many though were Tobermore’s McLean has impressed most in 2018 has been at the ‘Big Three’ International events, the North West 200, TT Races and Ulster Grand Prix.

Photo by Tommy Vennard

Looking back respectively performance wise on each of the premier roads events, May’s North West 200 saw him in particular catch the eye on the Roy Hanna Motors backed Kawasaki twin.

Fourth within the opening Super Twins encounter, the second four lap race would see once again in strong contention for a podium placing, before technical gremlins struck on lap three.

Electing to focus on Supersport 600, Lightweight competition, his second Mountain Course foray at TT 2018 yielded three very creditable finishes, including an excellent seventh place finish in the record breaking Bennetts Lightweight race.

August’s MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix saw the quietly ultra determined McLean excel. Runner up in the opening Supersport race, finishing in front of the likes of Dean Harrison and Peter Hickman, the corresponding Super Twins encounter saw him go one better, securing a first Ulster GP triumph.

Add in Supersport success at the Post TT Races, podium’s at the Southern 100 and finishing runner up in the Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT, alongside the various great results at both International and national level, and it’s fair to say this years road racing season has been productive, prodigious and tumultuous for him.

Remaining with McAdoo Kawasaki for 2019, there’s no doubt that the perhaps at times underestimated McLean will again excel and some next season.

Words by Stevie Rial

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