Lampkin On SSDT Win Number Eleven

Red Bull athlete Dougie Lampkin knows no boundaries having won the World famous Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) for a record extending eleventh time, and a third time in a row for Vertigo. At the age of forty-one Dougie showed he remains as competitive as ever, completing all six days of the event for the loss of a single mark to match the feat of Gordon Jackson in 1961, and add the record of the equal lowest score at the SSDT to his incredible and still increasing number of achievements. 

By the mid-point of this year's SSDT Lampkin had ridden himself into a three-mark lead after having completed the opening three days and initial ninety sections, thirty per day, without loss however Thursday always promised to be the biggest test of the week for the already ten-times winner. 

Riding at the front of the two-hundred and eighty strong field on day four Dougie had to use all his experience and focus as he faced the longest day of the week and its thirty rocky hazards in their most slippery state. Not happy just to hold onto his lead Dougie showed his real metal as he again went clean, despite the odds not being in his favour, to further increase his advantage going into the final two days of competition. 

Friday, the penultimate day of the 2017 SSDT, saw the former multi FIM Trial World Champion benefit from the start rotation system as on this occasion he got to ride at the back of the entry. Typically, Dougie made the absolute most of this situation and the continued glorious sunshine to deliver yet another clean day and set up an enthralling finale. 

Whilst the Vertigo factory rider went into the last day knowing that baring a disaster he would take an incredible eleventh win, the real question was - could Dougie become the first ever rider in the hundred year plus history of the SSDT to ride the entire event clean and beat Jackson's record that had stood for over fifty years. Unfortunately, a single dab in the third group of the day was to slightly blot an otherwise amazing week for Lampkin as he had to be content with yet another SSDT victory and a share of the record for the lowest score ever achieved. 

Struggling to mask his mixed feelings Lampkin said. "It's a real bitter sweet moment right now. To have come so close to going clean and then to have just fallen short is hard to take right now. I really put myself under a lot of pressure with five clean days and knowing the record was in sight." 

"I was bang on line, but the front wheel started to tuck in the first section at Lower Mamore. I could have hung on a bit longer, but with only a six-mark lead going into the final day the risk was too big. As soon as I put my foot down the front wheel started to straighten up, so it was perhaps a soft and unnecessary dab, but we will never know that." 

"My head definitely went after that, as that was all I could think of and I am sure I will relive that dab and beat myself up about it for several days to come. Then I had to refocus and get back on with the job we had come to do and to make sure the win didn't slip away too." 

Allowing himself a hard-earned smile Dougie ended by saying. "To win eleven in total and six in a row, with my lowest ever score at this stage in my career, isn't the worst week I suppose. It was nice to have my Mum here to share it with me. The problem is that people are already talking about win number twelve."