Back to the future for Doug and Beta
By TMX Archives on 19th Dec 07
DOUGIE Lampkin has officially announced that he has agreed terms with the Italian Beta factory and Britain's seven time World outdoor trials Champion will return to the team that was his first love (and on which he won his first three World outdoor titles) on January 1, 2008, following eight years at Montesa during which he has presented them with four World Trials Championships and done the lion's share of developing the 4RT at the sharp-end of International competition.
John Lampkin, Doug's cousin and Britain's Beta importer, is as enthusiastic as Doug with the return to the Beta fold and told T+MX on Monday: "Doug is really looking forward to challenging for that elusive 100th Grand Prix win on Beta and the return has really fired him up. Dougie does bring a lot of life to anything that he tackles and the factory is already buzzing at his return. I expect Doug to ride the factory two-stroke and while it will take him time to re-adjust, I just know that he has a few more wins in him yet.
"The factory is geared-up to provide him with the bike for the job and while I'm under no illusions about the difficulties of winning a World Championship, Bou and Raga are right at the top of their game, Dougie can still frighten them.
John continued, "I don't expect Doug to do a full British Championship but I'd like to get him to a couple, just to stir things up! He'd love to do the Scottish Six Days but that will all depend on Nicola (Doug's wife) as she and Doug are expecting a baby around SSDT time.
"It is really exciting and Doug returning to Beta can only be good for the World Championship.
"Personally, I think it is fantastic for Doug to be able to finish his career with Beta which is where it all began for him in the first place and where he won his first three World Championships.”
As John hinted, it is expected that Doug will go all-out for Indoor and Outdoor GP wins on the established REV3 two-stroke. Doug never actually rode the REV3 in competition as he switched to Montesa just as the then new model was announced, but the linkless suspension system should hold no fears for Doug.
With Doug's last Montesa ride being Sheffield Arena on Saturday, December 29, he then has just over a fortnight of training with Beta before the opening 2008 World Championship Indoor trial which will be Marseilles, France, on Friday, January 18.
The following is the official Dougie Lampkin press release:
MULTI World trials champion Dougie Lampkin will go in search of a record breaking eighth outdoor title and his one hundredth Grand Prix win on board a factory Beta, having recently agreed terms to join the Italian team for the 2008 season. Lampkin will embark on a full international campaign, which will include the Indoor World series and the Outdoor World championship, plus other selected events. The new agreement between Dougie and Beta, will see the renewal of the all-conquering partnership that captured three outdoor crowns from 1997 to 1999 inclusive, and gave Lampkin his first ever championship success at the highest level.
Lampkin will fulfil all his contractual commitments and will remain a Repsol Montesa HRC rider until December 31, 2007, a relationship he has enjoyed since the start of 2000 and that has earned him four further outdoor World crowns. During the last three seasons, Dougie has spearheaded Montesa's four-stroke factory development project, which reaped its full fruition when his team mate Toni Bou won both World titles earlier this year.
Lampkin stated, "It seems strange to be leaving Montesa after such a long and very successful relationship but, like all good things, they have to come to an end. However I don't want to dwell on that point, as instead I would prefer to look forward and to the new season. I can't do that without first taking this opportunity to thank all of my mechanics and the rest of the team for all their help and support during what has been a great period of my career. I would like to conclude by wishing them good luck for the future.”