JD's Blog: 2014 SSDT Thursday
By John Dickinson on 9th May 14
The 2014 Scottish Six Days sections went from one extreme to the other because after the severe difficulty of Wednesday, which saw even the World Championship aces lose marks and lesser mortals amass cricket scores, it was low scores for all on Thursday.
And it was a welcome respite for the Clubmen who soon realised that if they gave it a real go many could record an all time personal best!
At the head of the field this meant a bunch of clean sheets and precious little chance to gain any marks back. The leading four riders, Dougie Lampkin, Sam Haslam, James Dabill and Sam Connor all went clean as did Jack Sheppard and Richmond clubman Rob Waite.
In fact, just short of 50 riders managed to complete the day on single figure scores which did wonders for their confidence going into the fifth day.
The day's route was new to all and there was no time-honoured run down Glencoe to Chairlift and Ba House and no run across legendary Rannoch moor this year.
Instead there was an all new 90-odd mile run heading up top Spean Bridge before the field effectively doubled back to begin a loop that would take in Bradileig before indulging in a 16 mile moorland loop that would bring them back to eight sections at old favourite Fersit.
It was then back to Spean Bridge, cross the A82 and then set off on a second off-road loop that would eventually bring riders back to three subs up Trotter's Burn.
The final sub up Trotters with its infamous rock face at the exit did as much damage as any section in the trial. Ask Tom Sagar whose 29 previous cleans were ruined by a five on that final step. This was the difference between an eventual 17th overall and what could have been eighth had he maintained that clean sheet.
Up at the front there was of course no change although Michael Brown lost a little more ground losing three as did Dan Thorpe.
Emma Bristow had bike problems on the moors before Fersit but Emma and James Fry stuck together and eventually solved the problem although, as late starters anyway, the official backmarkers were on their case. The upheaval cost James six for the day and Emma 16 although she did fall foul of Trotter's sting in the tail.
So with the scores reading Lampkin six, Haslam nine, Dabill 14, Connor 14, Brown 17 and Thorpe 20 the trial hits the road on Friday with the traditional 100 mile run round the Moidart peninsula taking in all the old familiar groups of sections including Piperrs Burn, Glenuig, WDs, the loose scree at Camasnacroise, the large boulders of Meall Nam Each and Kilmalieu and the red rocks at Rubha Ruadh.
