Kamil Holan, a 48-year-old Czech rider, has died following an accident during qualifying at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland. The crash occurred at Station Corner during the opening Superbike qualifying session on Thursday morning. Emergency services attended the scene but Holan succumbed to his injuries.

Holan, who lived in Prague and first competed at the North West 200 in 2022, was a regular presence in European road racing. His most notable achievement came at the Manx Grand Prix in 2012, when he became the first Czech rider to win the Newcomers 'A' race. He also competed at the Isle of Man TT, with a best finish of 20th in the 2018 Superbike race. His team, Hefty74, paid tribute to "a wonderful friend and a man of great character."

This tragedy marks the first fatality at the North West 200 since Malachi Mitchell-Thomas was killed in a Supertwins race in 2016. Holan is the 20th rider to lose their life in the 97-year history of the event. His family gave approval for the event to continue, with practice sessions rescheduled to Thursday evening.