2018 SSDT: Saturday - Dougie Lampkin seals unbelievable win
By John Dickinson on 13th May 18
As the sun shone on the Highlands for the first time all week, Dougie Lampkin rode to an incredible 12th win, giving Vertigo a fourth straight victory, in the Scottish Six Days Trial on Saturday in a dramatic final day that culminated, as it has so often in the past, with a drama on Ben Nevis.
James Dabill (Beta) had led the trial all week and looked confident and comfortable going into the final day with a two point lead over Doug. The early sections were relatively easy for the top riders but all that came to a halt in sectuon 27, in the second gully on The Ben which features a solid, rockbed twisting climb in the river that stuns the club riders and makes the aces really work hard.
2018 SSDT James Dabill
Dabill was simply disastrously unlucky as at some point in the section the rear tyre came loose on the rim, perhaps squeezed in a narrow gap between rocks, and just wouldn't go up the final step.
The Dibsta could do nothing about it and in a nutshell it cost him the trial.
Local hero Gary MacDonald (Scorpa) fived the section with a definite stop and that almost cost him third place as he dropped six, compared to the two of Jack Price (Gas Gas) - both lost in that dreaded hazrd. But G Mac just shaded the tie-break to claim another fantastic podium in the Six Days to go with his second successive win in the Pre-65.
There was only a single clean on that awesome hazard and that came from Welsh Wizard Iwan Roberts who somehow twisted and tweaked his TRS to the Ends cards to a tremendous roar of applause.
Doug of course blitzed the Over 40 award while Dabill's World Championship Assistant, Czech Jiri Svoboda, won the Newcomers in a slight twist of irony, a great ride as he consistently rode the trial some 20 numbers behind James, at no point was he involved in any of Dibs' rides.
2018 SSDT Gary MacDonald
Gary Mac was top Scot, Best Scottish Newcomer was Mark MacMillan and Emma Bristow ruled the Ladies.
Both relieved and delighted Dougie said: "I wasn't too sure that it was going to happen this year, as James has been riding so well all week and after a shaky first day and problems with the bike since late on Tuesday I have just been trying to stay in touch.
"Things certainly haven't gone to plan this week, but that is when you have to dig deep and be thankful that you have a great team around you who all know what to do when the going gets tough.
"After Friday I knew I was in with a shout, but I also knew that it was going to be difficult to out ride James as he has been on top of his game since Monday. I know from my own experiences that you need to be riding well and to have luck on your side to win the SSDT," added Dougie.
"Unfortunately for James his luck ran out very late in the day, and I know how gutted he will be, but the Scottish is never over until you have ridden through the end cards of the very last section."
Full report and pics in your TMX this Thursday.
RESULTS - Top 10:
1 Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) 8 marks
2: James Dabill (Beta) 11
3: Gary MacDonald (Scorpa) 18
4: Jack Price (Gas Gas) 18
5: Jack Sheppard (Sherco) 24
6: Sam Connor (Beta) 25
7: Andy Chilton (Scorpa) 29
8: Richard Sadler (Beta) 31
9: Guy Kendrew (Beta) 36
10: Sam Haslam (Gas Gas) 36
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