A Beta deal for Doug?
By TMX Archives on 15th Nov 07
DOUGIE Lampkin is set for a sensational return to Beta!
As T+MX was going to press on Tuesday evening the International trialscommunity was buzzing with rumour and speculation regarding theseven-time World Outdoor champion's future and T+MX dug deep to sortout the truths from the untruths!
Both Doug and Montesa were remaining tight-lipped and an official pressrelease was expected to come from the Montesa factory in Barcelona onWednesday, accompanied by an official release from Dougie. But onTuesday evening, Spanish sources close to the factory were agreed thatDoug's Repsol Montesa contract was not going to be renewed. At the sametime, continental insiders were adamant that Doug would be re-joiningBeta for 2008, the marque on which he started his remarkable career andthat shared three World Championships with Doug from 1997 to 1999.
When Doug switched to Montesa for the 2000 season he rewarded thefactory with four straight World Trials Championships on the two-strokeCota 315, which took his personal tally of outdoor titles to seven by2003.
He then finished 2004 as a close runner-up to team-mate TakahisaFujinami, despite an awesome final round victory in Switzerland thatyear, one of Doug's all-time great wins.
For the the last three years, Doug has been at the forefront ofdeveloping and riding the exciting new generation four-stroke Montesa4RT, with its hi-tech Honda engine, to a point where new-for-2007signing, Toni Bou, was able to win the World Championship straight-off when he joined the team.
It is expected that Doug will announce an attack on that elusive eighthWorld Trials Champion in 2008 and the outright record number of wins.He currently shares the honour with Jordi Tarres on seven apiecealthough Doug is ahead on the tie-break' of seven straight victories!
Whether he will opt for two-stroke or four-stroke power is of coursenot known but a return to two-stroke power should not be ruled out.Doug knows how strong the Beta engine is having won three Worldtitles with it and although Doug left Beta just as the REV3 wasunveiled, with its then radical linkless rear suspension, the factoryhas developed this into a first rate challenger.
Doug has maintained close personal friendships with the Beta hierarchyand of course his cousin, John Lampkin, is the British importer for theItalian marque.