It's three and easy!
By TMX Archives on 7th May 08
THE 2008 Scottish Six Days Trial got off to a fantastic start with brilliant sunshine gracing the Highlands for the opening day's 58-mile run and the day ended with a three-way tie for the lead! Dougie Lampkin posted his intention to stamp his authority on the event in his eagerly anticipated return ride with a cool, confident clean sheet through the day's 30 sections but keeping Dougie honest were a pair of Sam's, in the form of Ludgate and Haslam!
Yorkshireman Sam Ludgate is a rider who has regularly ridden, and enjoyed, the Scottish and is always in the hunt while often remaining just under the radar while Haslam is a young gun whose style and temperament are ideally suited to the Scottish sections. The two Sams are only five numbers apart in the running order (161 Ludgate, 166 Haslam) while Dougie is around 60 numbers behind at 217.
As ever, a clean ride makes a nonsense of the sections, many of which are far from easy but so many riders raise their game for the SSDT which is what keeps it such a hotly contested event all the way through the week.
There was some tremendous riding on display which is borne out by the fact that on Monday evening there were no fewer than 21 riders still in single figures, according to the official scores, with Boyd Webster on just eight in 21st place, giving the popular Yorkshireman major bragging rights at the bar and I'm sure he made good use of them!
The day's opening two sections in the stream at Leanachen had been two feet under water on Sunday evening, following heavy rain on the hills on Sunday afternoon, but the torrent had abated somewhat by Monday morning. And the scouring action of the water on the rocks affored plenty of grip. Former Scottish winner Amos Bilbao got the prize for the first major contender to drop a mark when he dropped a foot when just several metres through the first section Ins cards. And one of the hot pre-trial favourites, Michael Brown, dropped a dab on the second section. It turned out to be the only one he would lose - but still put him in joint fourth place! Joining him were local favourite Gary MacDonald, looking really on-form on the four-stroke Sherco and hoping to put a strong challenge together this week. Gary dropped his dab on the third sub up last group, Lagnaha.
2008 SCOTTISH SIX DAYS TRIAL
Results Day 1 Monday
TOP 25 FINISHERS
1 Sam Ludgate (Beta) clean
2 Sam Haslam (JST Gas Gas) clean
3 Dougie Lampkin (Beta) clean
4 Gary Macdonald (Sherco) 1
5 Wayne Braybrook (JST Gas Gas) 1
6 James Dabill (Montesa) 1
7 Michael Brown (Beta UK) 1
8 Shaun Morris (JST Gas Gas) 2
9 Dan Thorpe (JST Gas Gas) 2
10 Sam Connor (JLI Beta) 2
11 Craig Robinson (JST Gas Gas) 2
12 Ben Hemingway (Beta UK) 3
13 Liam Walker (JST Gas Gas) 3
14 Jordi Pascuet (Beta) 3
15 Graham Jarvis (MRS Sherco) 3
16 James Lampkin (Beta UK) 4
17 Ian Austermuhle (Beta UK) 4
18 George Morton (Beta UK) 5
19 Tom Sagar (Beta) 7
20 Juan Knight (Gas Gas) 7
21 Boyd Webster (Sandiford Montesa) 8
22 Richard Timperley (Beta UK) 10
23 David Braithwaite (Montesa) 10
24 Ben Ludgate (Beta) 11
25 Joe Baker (Scorpa) 11
BEST NEWCOMER
34 Jack Challoner (Beta UK) 13
BEST LADY
108 Emma Bristow (JST Gas Gas) 38
BEST SERVICES
109 Phil Wiffen (Montesa 4RT) 38
BEST OVER 40
30 Philip Alderson (Sherco) 12
BEST SCOT
4 Gary MacDonald (Sherco) 1
BEST SCOTTISH NEWCOMER
167 Alistair Milligan (Scorpa) 62
For full report and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, May 9, 2008