Heading into the sand for the first time since claiming his first Grand Prix victory at Lommel in Belgium last August, Maxxis-sponsored Anstie was in a confident mood after posting his best overall finish of the season the previous weekend in Trentino, Italy.

On Saturday his options in the Qualification Heat were restricted by a mediocre start and Anstie ran to fifth position. It was a decent enough gate pick for the brace of thirty minute and two lap motos on Sunday. The rain and dark skies had dissipated to be replaced by the occasional sunny spell for race day as 32,600 spectators filled the largely flat – but demanding and rough – sandy venue south of Eindhoven.

In the first race Anstie launched off the line strongly and set about moving to the rear wheel of world champion Jordi Tixier in second place. The Cosworth-powered KX250F motor was a useful foil for the fast lines and Max went about building a fifteen second lead over his brand-mate. 22 points in the bag Anstie then couldn’t get away so effectively in the second race. He was hunting a way into the top ten when he encountered an engine problem on lap four of seventeen. It was his second non-score in the eight motos he has contested in 2015.

Some valuable points in two Gran Prix over the last seven days means that Anstie holds eleventh position in the MX2 standings and with the sixth and seventh stops on the calendar set for Talavera de la Reina in Spain and the squad’s home fixture at Matterley Basin near Winchester ahead in the coming weeks. Round three of the Maxxis British Championship waits in store this coming weekend at the Swanley venue of Canada Heights.