Gr-eight Scott
By TMX Archives on 15th May 14
DOUGIE Lampkin led the 2014 Scottish Six Days Trial from start to finish last weekto extend his winning record to a mighty eight victories exactly 20 years since his first, aged 18.
Starting his week with a perfect clean sheet on Monday, a feat he shared with challengers and fellow former winners James Dabill and Sam Connor, Doug slowly but surely saw off his adversaries.
He took a clear lead on Tuesday with another clean sheet, only matched by on-form Northallerton Clubman Guy Kendrew, which moved Guy up from 14th to fourth place – the position in which he would end a fantastic week's riding.
Doug, riding out of the Vertigo awning but with the all-new Barcelona-built machine not deemed ready for action just yet, was mounted on his ‘DL12' machine.
In reality a Gas Gas with his own personal parts fitted – including Tech forks, Riga shock and special cylinder barrel – the bike, as close as possible to factory spec, made it through 70 Scottish sections before losing a mark. It was the 11th sub of the day on Wednesday that finally caught him out and he was fortunate to escape
for a three on Grey Mare's Tail in Kinlochleven on a section cleaned by many
including first-timer Iwan Roberts on his 125 Beta.
On what turned out to be one of the toughest days, section-wise, in recent years, Doug also parted with another three in a brand-new section on the all-new afternoon route
which took riders down Glen Etive, off the Glen Coe road and then over the moors to Lagnaha on the Oban road.
Fives and threes were the order of the day here but the best ride was by Richmond Clubman
Rob Waite who escaped with a brilliant one.
After Wednesday's shock to the system the club relented and Thursday's sections were among the easiest in years, allowing almost 50 riders the luxury of single-figure scores on yet another new route as Rannoch Moor was not being used by request of the landowners who were doing some necessary work they didn't want disturbed.
The leading four riders all went clean which meant no change at the top but there were also clean days by Jack Sheppard and Rob Waite – and a lot of happy Clubmen at the end of the day.
But as Thursday was easy the club then threw in another surprise with an untypically tough day in the sections on Friday.
The traditional road-based course round
the Moidart peninsula included some tough hazards.
And, after indulging in a safe dab on the top sub at Pipers Burn, Doug made his one big mistake of the week and his only five in a relatively easy sub way out at Kingairloch after lunch.
This, with another dab on the boulders at Meall Nam Each, put Doug on seven for the day allowing Dibs to get back to within five marks of Doug going into the final day.
James top-scored on four although he was matched by Guy Kendrew who was enjoying a cracking week.
Only seven riders managed single-figure scores to put the day in context.
For Sam Haslam Friday was a total nightmare and from being right in contention for the win the Gas Gas UK rider plummeted to 10th after a mighty 28-mark blowout in the sections.
So it was all down to Saturday as spectators made their way to Ben Nevis where the six sections included a couple of stunners.
But, to cut the story short, when the pressure's on there's no stopping Dougie and despite Dabill doing his best Doug romped home with the day's best score – a mere dab on Ben Nevis's fourth sub – plus a brilliant clean matched only by Jack Sheppard on the final stunner of the group.
Doug had win number eight in the bag and was followed home by former winners James Dabill and Sam Connor. Guy Kendrew took a fantastic fourth with Michael Brown a disappointed fifth after an up and down week.
"Winning the Scottish still means everything to me,” said Doug as the week's survivors signed off in the parc ferme. "I've put the effort in practising for this win.
"And I reckon there's another one in me yet so I'll be back next year looking for number nine and the first for Vertigo!”
Read this week's TMX News for a day-by-day breakdown of the 2014 SSDT
