Dougie Lampkin Wins Eighth Scottish Six Days Trial

dl ssdt 1Earlier today, Dougie Lampkin achieved a record extending eighth win at the World famous Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) held in and around Fort William, his latest success coming exactly twenty years after he first won the event back in the mid nineties. The Red Bull athlete who was never headed throughout the six days of competition in the Highlands extended his margin of victory on the final day of the event to eventually beat current World number six James Dabill by eight clear marks. Dougie soaked up the pressure of the tense climax and put yesterday's setback behind him, when he suffered his single biggest loss of the week, to confirm himself as the undisputed King of the Scottish, with no other rider in the hundred plus years of the event having achieved more than five wins.

Dougie won his first SSDT in 1994, and then made it a straight three in a row as he again triumphed in both 1995 and 1996. After a decade plus absence due to his World Championship duties, Dougie made a winning return in 2008 and 2009 before suffering a mechanical problem and an injury in the following two years. His sixth victory in 2012 moved him ahead of Sammy Miller and Mick Andrews to become the rider with the most SSDT wins, a record that Dougie has managed to further extend in 2013 and now incredibly in 2014.

Thirty-eight year old Lampkin riding for the newly formed Vertigo team sighted the SSDT as the single most important competition in his busy 2014 schedule on the run up to the event. Dougie put in many hours of preparation in and around his various other commitments to ready himself for an eighth winning assault. His many training sessions in the North Yorkshire hills showed their worth as the ex multi FIM Trial World Champion put himself at the front of the pack as early as the opening day.

Another faultless performance on day two saw the Vertigo teamster shake off the attentions of Dabill and Sam Connor who had shared the lead with him on Monday, as he moved into a commanding position that he would not relinquish at any point. Wednesday and the midpoint of the six day competition proved to be the toughest for Lampkin, with his early day being made even more difficult by driving rain and rising waters. Losing his first marks of the week, his total of six for the day saw him hold a three mark lead over Sam Haslam as the trial entered its second phase.

dl ssdt 2Thursday offered all of the near three hundred strong entry a welcomed relief, with the route and sections proving much easier than twenty-four hours earlier. There was no change at the top of the leaderboard, with all the front-runners posting clean scores on day four of six. Friday was to be Lampkin's worst day with his daily total of seven including an unfortunate five, when his left hand slipped off the handlebar as he tackled one of the many waterfalls. Despite this setback, the already seven times SSDT winner took a five mark lead over Dabill into today's deciding encounter.

Knowing that just one failure could spoil his whole week's work, Dougie maintained his composure brilliantly to beat Dabill both on the day and overall to claim an historic eighth win in what remains regarded as the greatest trial in the World. Delighted with his latest victory Lampkin said. "It feels incredible to have won yet another Scottish, in fact it feels amazing as this trial takes some winning. This week has felt even longer than ever and as yesterday showed you don't have to do much wrong to throw the whole thing away."

"I feel like I have ridden well all week and to have lost marks in only six of the one hundred and eighty sections shows the kind of level you need to be at if you are to be in with a chance of winning." Continued Dougie. "James (Dabill) has also ridden well this week and has certainly kept me on my toes, I know he would like to have won, but he has definitely earned his runners-up place."

"It is no secret that I love the Scottish and how much it means to both me and my family, so I am incredibly proud to have my name on the main trophy once again alongside my Uncle Arthur and Sid, plus my Dad Martin. I am already looking forward to coming back next year to defend my title and to hopefully give the new Vertigo bike its first ever SSDT win."

Lampkin rounded off by saying. "Finally I would like to say a massive thanks to all the officials and especially all the observers who have also had a tough week, standing out in all weathers and as volunteers and trials lovers who just try to do their best at all times."