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By John Wilkinson for Snowdon Sports Editorial. Photos by Rob Lampard.

John Tanner, the Premier Calendar winner in 1997, notched his first win of the current series when he beat leader Chris Newton in the Manx International road race, climax of the Isle of Man Week

ODD one out among the Team Brite big hitters before the Mylchreests Motors Manx International road race last Friday, John Tanner put the record straight with a superb and richly deserved victory in the 113-mile classic on the TT circuit.

Without a win all season, Tanner was at his best as he pulled clear with Chris Newton (Great Britain) on the last climb from Ramsey towards Snaefell and went on to lay his Isle of Man jinx to rest.

Tenth last year, 1-32 down on Frenchman Christophe Morel, and 11 th behind Robert Millar in 1995, this was only the third time that Tanner had finished the three-lap classic, and before the race he was reflecting on how he never seemed to do well on the island, whatever his form.

But it all fell into place this time, and - clearly the strongest on the day - he judged his last-lap effort to perfection to continue his squad's domination of the BCF Premier Calendar.

Newton, on course for the overall Premier title, was five lengths down at the line after quickly conceding the sprint. Matt Stephens (Harrods-Giant), third at 2-11, and Matt Illingworth (Team Brite), another 45 seconds down, finished in isolation after losing contact on the climb.

The rest of a strung-out field were led in more than four and a half minutes back by Kevin Dawson (GB), Mark Lovatt (Team Ambrosia), Richard Moore (Clarke Contracts) and new national under23 champion Richard Hobby (VC Lincoln), who rode impressively.

Top overseas finisher was the rangy Dutchman Gerben Nijmeijer, ninth at 7-34, while the French were at the back of the race all day with last year's winner Morel a total no-show in 33rd place at 14-02.

Early breaks rarely last in this gruelling test, and so it proved as the 14 survivors from an initial 16strong group - including Illingworth, Dawson, Lovatt and Hobby - were caught after nearly two laps off the front.

They had started the last lap with a lead of 1-04 over some 35 regrouping chasers, but when Tanner, Newton, Stephens, Moore and Dave Rand (PDM Sports) attacked from behind after the feed out of Union Mills, the gap was quickly bridged.

The five got on going past the Crosby Hotel at 80 miles, and the race was over for the rest, with last year's runner-up and a big favourite Julian Winn (PDM Sports) a major loser as he was caught off-guard.

The leaders, now 19, had a minute at Ballacraine after 83 miles, and the stage was set for a big explosion on the Creg Willey's climb out of Glen Helen.

Tanner and Newton pressed the accelerator, and going over the top they had a gap on Stephens and battling Illingworth, who was the only one of the original break able to match the injection of fresh legs.

The four joined up after 88 miles and although a dozen of the others regrouped in a frantic chase, the birds had flown.

The gap was 24 seconds at Bishopscourt, 50 seconds at Sulby and 1-35 going on to the climb as the four drove on with a brisk tailwind.

Newton, under orders to ride for himself and not to help his Brite team-mates, led on the early part of the climb.

But Tanner took over before the Waterworks corner where Illingworth sat up briefly in defeat. Then Stephens was dropped going out of the Gooseneck as the pace remained relentless.

The impressive Tanner was at the front nearly all the way up the rest of the climb, and at the Guthrie's Memorial prime the two leaders were 47 seconds clear of Stephens, bravely trying to limit the damage until they hit the flat, with Illingworth at 1-08, the chasers at 2-37 and what was left of the bunch now at 5-36.

Dawson, Lovatt, Moore and Hobby had left the chasers by the Mountain Box where they trailed by 3-05, but the interest was further up the road where Tanner and Newton crossed the tram lines at the Bungalow with a clear two-minute gap.

Descending smoothly, the pair stayed together on the 50mph swoop from Kate's Cottage to Hillberry before Tanner, after a brief word with team manager Keith Lambert, put in a little dig cresting the rise at Cronk-ny-Mono.

But Newton was soon back on his wheel, and forecasts were evenly split.

Newton took to the front out of Governor's Bridge as the grandstand loomed into sight, but the sprint didn't begin until the last 100 metres and, when it did, it was immediately over as Tanner went by on the left without any response. Rain had been falling as the field headed away from the start, with Nick Corkill cheerily showing "Only three laps to go!" to the 80plus riders on the race blackboard.

The roads were ominously wet going out to the west of the island, but the sun was peeping through. After a series of early skirmishes, a group of 16 went clear along the Cronk-y-Voddy straight - Illingworth, Dawson, Lovatt, Hobby, Mike Jones (Paramount CRT), Richard Wooles (Cwmcarn Paragon), Bryan Steel (Team Brite), Joe Bayfield (Harrods), Nijmeijer, Chris Williams (PDM Sports), Patrick Moriarty (Ireland), Danny Axford (Team 120/80), Julian Ramsbottom (Harrods), Martin Ford (GS Strada), Drew Wilson (Clarkes Contracts) and John Stollery (Team Sabre).

The fog warning signs were flashing at Ramsey, where they led by 1-52, and after a cold, wet and misty run up and over the mountain into a strong wind - losing Ramsbottom, who stopped for rear-wheel service, and Jones - the gap was 2-48 as the first lap was completed in 1-33-24, well down on record schedule.

Thankfully, the weather improved considerably over the middle lap which saw little change. Various chases were organised, but with the gap down to 1-05 early on the climb, and a big bunch in sight as the leaders looked back down the road, the front group surprisingly went away again to 1-50 at the Bungalow, where Nijmeijer attacked and was brought back sharply by Dawson.

The second lap took 1-37-47, 10 minutes down on last year, but with the gap now coming down rapidly the end was in sight for the advance party and the stage set for the crucial part of the action.

1. John Tanner (Team Brite) 113.25m in 4-45-53
2. C. Newton (GB) at 1 sec
3. M. Stephens (Harrods) at 2-11
4. M. Illingworth (Team Brite) at 2-56
5. K. Dawson (GB) at 4-33
6. M. Lovatt (Team Ambrosia) at 4-36
7. R. Moore (Clarke Contracts) at 4-42
8. R. Hobby (VC Lincoln) at 4-58
9. G. Nijmeijer (Holland) at 7-34
10. D. Rand (PDM Sports) at 7-36
11. R. Wooles (Cwmcarn Paragon) at 8-40
12. C. Williams (PDM Sports) at 11-23
13. P. Moriarty (Ireland) at 11-24
14. D. Wilson (Clarke Contracts) at 12-04
15. D. Axford (Team 120180) at 13-44
16. R. Hayles (Team Brite) at 13-58
17. J. Clay (Team Brite)
18. B. Steel (Team Brite)
19. S. Dangerfield (GB)
20. A. Schmidt (Germany)

Team.- Great Britain (Chris Newton, Kevin Dawson, Stuart Dangerfield).

What, they said

IT'S only the third time I've finished this race," said happy winner John Tanner.

"There wasn't much really happening on the climb today, because it was into a total headwind, and most of the racing was done on the other side of the circuit. It was a big group to be away, but luckily there were no real climbers in it.

"The chase went after the feed - it was a hard effort, and flat out like a team time trial. It's my first win of the year, so I'm really pleased."

Chris Newton, who consolidated his overall lead in the Premier Calendar table, conceded that the stronger rider won on the day: "On the back of the circuit on the last lap I felt I had a chance of winning it, and I still felt pretty good to Guthrie's," he said. But it was like riding on a motorbike with John today - he was just a lot stronger than I was.

"The GB team orders were not to work for Brite, and we didn't. But you can't get away from the fact that we are in the same team, and although I could have sat on him and gone for the sprint, it would have been really greedy.

"I did all I could, and as the long-term aim for me is the Premier Calendar, I can't complain. I'm very happy with the way the week has gone, and I'm pretty tired now."