TT 2016: Electric Anstey takes debut TT Zero win

Bruce Anstey took the TT Zero victory though it was never easy to follow his progress around the Mountain Course as the computerised timing system failed and left even the commentary team bemused as what was going on.

Seven bikes took the start, with the pre-race favourite John McGuinness on the Team Mugen taking the early lead but then, at Glen Helen, no sign on the timing screens of Anstey on the other Mugen bike. Transponders it seemed were having something of a nightmare but at Ballaugh, they sprang into life showing McGuinness 3.378secs ahead of Anstey.

But at Ramsey, was it McGuinness or Anstey who had the lead from Victory’s William Dunlop? Initially the commentators had the Lancastrian leading but then realised they had the wrong man and it was in fact Anstey,prompting quick calculations as they worked out the Kiwi’s advantage at the front of the pack.

McGuinness had stopped at Quarry Bends, his bike cutting out after he landed at Ballacrye, hitting the kill switch, but pushing various buttons, he got back on course but even for him a podium finish was out of the question.

Anstey, knowing that his team-mate was out of contention, eased off a little but took the victory, his eleventh on the Island at an average speed of 118.416secs, crossing the line 25.461secs clear of Dunlop with Daley Mathison third on the University of Nottingham bike a further three minutes down, having lapped at 99.884mph. McGuinness was fourth with Allann Ventner the fifth and last finisher.

Anstey reflected: “It was a good race – I knew that John would go flat out from the start – we both wanted the win and so I gave it a good go. I saw that he had stopped and eased off a little to make sure that I got the win. The bike, the team is amazing – the amount of work they do is amazing, there are lots of changes and development and it was awesome here.”

McGuinness, the pre-race favourite, explained his problem: “As the bike landed at Ballacrye, it stopped. I pulled up at Quarry Bends and started pushing the buttons to get it going again. I had landed on the emergency button under the seat and shut it off. One of the marshals, or a spectator said press it. I did and got going – it was just not my day, having broken down in the 600 race and after all of the work the team had done for this race I am so disappointed.”

It had been a strange affair, nigh on impossible to follow from the Press Centre in Douglas but there was no doubting the eventual result – Anstey had won on an electric bike for the first time.