It's Scottish time!
By TMX Archives on 28th Apr 10
AMAZINGLY, it is almost Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) time and this year will be the 99th anniversary of this unique Edinburgh and District Motor Club promoted event. The rapidly approaching dates are Monday to Saturday, May 3/8 and the lucky 275 riders have been planning their Fort William based week in Scotland for months sometimes a full 12 months!Real Scottish enthusiasts book the first full week in May as a holiday for each calendar year just as soon as they are able and if they are hoping to ride they start praying that their entry will be accepted!Pictures: Eric Kitchen
Once guaranteed a ride, the real preparation begins. What bike will I ride? Where will I stay? What new gear will I need? What spares should I take? These days, some riders really don't pay enough attention to the latter. The manufacturers and importers attend the event and do a fantastic job on the service front each night offering space in their awning, lending tools and providing spares. But riders shouldn't really rely on them 100 per cent and the wise rider takes his own selection of parts he thinks he may need. The factories can only be expected to transport so many gear-levers or whatever. Ultimately the responsibility is your own – so pack those tools and spares!
Before the trial gets underway, there will have already been the Pre-65 Two-Day event, based in Kinlochleven, and which takes place on the Friday and Saturday. This event was previewed in last week's issue.
Then of course Sunday is devoted to Weigh-in day when riders entered for the Six Days must present their machines for scrutineering. This takes place in the West End car park in Fort William and is the day to wander round, watching riders perform their last minute preparations, chatting to family, friends, fans and each other and bargain-spotting in the trade stands.
Many foreign riders take part in the event and they too enjoy meeting old friends and lining-up to have pics taken of themselves with all their countrymen!
One of the most enjoyable parts of the Scottish in recent years has been the parade of riders right through Fort William town centre which is thronged by thousands of people as the cavalcade of 275 bikes makes its through – preceeded by a Highland pipe band. Quite a spectacle.
Then, all the machines are locked away in parc ferme, ready for the 7.30am start on Monday morning...
IF you are in Scotland for the Six Days you will of course buy an official programme which gives you full details of where and when to watch and a full rider entry list. Here, just to give you a flavour, is a quick rundown picking out just a few of the riders you will hopefully see during the week.
A Scotsman traditionally gets riding number 1 and leads the trial away from the start on Monday morning and this year it is Lanarkshire MC club member Stuart Rockett who will light the blue touch paper that gets the trial underway. Aran Drachenberg (11) and Graham Tales (12) are Yorkshiremen who have more than a few Scottishes between them as does popular Spanish rider, retired bank manager Carles Casas. 2005 SSDT winner Sam Connor (25) is an early starter on Monday while International enduro ace Tom Sagar (30) rides this trial with his dad Paul (40) as usual.
Sam Haslam (42) will be shepherding former MX World Champ Jamie Dobb (43) who is tackling the Scottish for the first time as a charity challenge. Good luck to Jamie and if you see him, bung a few quid in his pocket! Dan Thorpe (59) will be a top ten finisher for sure while brothers Jonathan (61) and Charley Lee (62) are just one of many family entries in the event.
Martin Crosswaite (63) is Gas Gas mounted this year and no doubt he will soon join-up with 2007 winner, looking for a repeat performance, James Dabill (71) and his British GG boss John Shirt (72). Shirty will keep Dibs on his toes as he is an SSDT ace himself! Local star Gary Macdonald (81) looks to get right at the top of the leaderboard and riding with Ross Danby (82) won't do him any harm as the pair can swap information.
Further along, Devon rider Joe Baker (118) loves the Scottish and is a former Best on Day man while Nigel Birkett (120) should have 40 consecutive finishes under his belt this year. On a Yam-powered Scorpa this year, Birks could be back on an Ossa next year! Darren Brice (124) is a late convert to the SSDT but will enjoy plenty of cracking rides on the rocks.
Up and coming Jack Challoner (153) rides with Beta TTT team-member Michele Bosi while the ever consistent Ian Austermuhle (168) is sure to be there or thereabouts all week. Skip up to the 190s now and Ulsterman Harold Crawford (197) scoots round with his World Championship chum Alexz Wigg (198) while not far behind comes winner for the last two years, now looking for a hat-trick, Dougie Lampkin (209). Doug will have an enjoyable week in the company of cousin James (210) and no doubt further cousins, the Hemingways, Ben and Dan, who just love this event, will soon join the clan each morning.
Skipping along now, the Sheffield and Hallamshire Timperley family have three members, Richard (234), Mark (235) and Matt (236) to keep going for the week. Then we come to a prime candidate for Best First Timer – factory Sherco rider Albert Cabestany (255) who is looking forward to a week riding every single day. He rides with two fellow friends from Tarragona who have always dreamed of riding in Scotland. A bit further back – nice long lie-in on Monday – come British Sherco duo Michael Brown (267) and Jonathan Richardson (266).
AS last year, there are no fewer than five girls entered and all are really good riders who will put a lot of lads under pressure – if only from their mates! Aussie Kirstie McKinnon (65) returns to join in with a quartet of Brits headed by regular entrant Katy Sunter (78) and first-timer Joanne Coles (112) who seems to improve each time out and who can only benefit by her Scottish outing.
Emma Bristow (163) has been round Scotland before as has the last of the Ladies, British Champ Beck Cook (203). The girls are well spread out in the entry but there will still be plenty of friendly rivalry between them – especially every night when the results are posted. Many fans head straight to see where the girls finished on the results sheet.
A fabulous week, as ever, whether you are a rider or a spectator. If you are a rider, stand by for some awesome moorland crossings, but if you are a Scottish newcomer also prepare yourself for some equally long sessions droning along on the road. Great if the sun's shining but can also be pretty miserable should it be cold or wet – or both – so don't ever be tempted to leave your riding jacket behind just because the sun is shining in the morning. After 50 miles you may well be facing driving sleet.
The week's total mileage this year is 520, give or take a few – or maybe a lot if you don't take good notice of the course markers! Here's a brief outline of what lies in store.
MONDAY: A ‘gentle' opener of 75 miles taking a clockwise route leaving Fort William and heading north and the first sections at Leanachen (where the British World Round will be held in June) Always a big crowd of spectators, even at 8am! Riders then take-off for their first trip across the moors, via remote Bradilieg to Kinlochleven for the lunch halt and then back out to Blackwater. Spectators will mainly head straight out to Lagnaha, on the Oban road, for what is always a brilliant afternoon checking out the seven sections. Please be careful when spectating round the ‘second' gully, it is very steep, often wet and its really easy to slip and fall.
TUESDAY: A high-mileage day, for spectators as well as riders. You can take in historic Laggan Locks but most followers will make the long drive out to Creag Lundie with the five sections an easy walk up the hillside. Again, beautiful on a sunny day. Forest Gate is an alternative and the big step at Witches Burn is always worth a look if you haven't been before. Watch it on the single track road though. Riders get the joys of Clunes, which can be pretty taxing when wet!
WEDNESDAY: A similar – though completely different (!) route to Monday which will take rider from Fort William in a clockwise direction over the moors to Kinlochleven and then back via historic Mamore road. Spectators will either head for Fersit – a 40 minute to an hour's walk, depending on how fast or slow you walk, or Kinlochleven for Schoolhouse or Grey Mare's tail.
THURSDAY: At 108 miles this is a long day in the saddle but most riders love it. A 30 mile ride down Glencoe is your starter, whether on a bike or in a vehicle, for the opening Chairlift. After Ba House riders then head away out over desolate Rannoch moor taking in groups along the way before finally arriving at Leanachan for six brand new eagerly awaited sections. Spectators will go to either/ or Chairlift and Leanachan. If you fancy a LONG drive out and back you could go round to Rannoch...but it is a long, long way!
FRIDAY: One of the favourite days of the week for everyone. The ride round the Moidart peninsula has everything – and you can see virtually every group of the day if you wish. Pipers Burn, Glenuig, the steep loose climb at Camasnacroise, the big white boulders at Meall Nam Each and Kilmaieu and the red rocks at Rhuba Ruadh (which is Gaelic for – red rocks!) The day is a SSDT institution,
SATURDAY: It looks like a nice easy finish at just 61 miles – but don't be fooled, there is some tough riding out there, especially at the end of the week when both you and your bike are feeling a bit tired. It is a bit like Wednesday in reverse with the field heading towards Kinlochleven for Pipeline, via Mamore, and then looping out across the moors to return to Ben Nevis for eight sections and the finale up the re-modelled Town Hall Brae.