Report: 2014 SSDT Wednesday
By Team TMX on 8th May 14
Wednesdays action, sponsored by North Eastpea Farm off-road centre and off road moto, looked on paper like it should be an easier travelling day after the 95 mile route of Tuesday, being over 20 miles shorter, but this didn't prove to be the case.
The halfway point of the 2014 SSDT has been reached and the scores are starting to climb, no rider remains clean overall and no rider completed the day without penalty.
Dougie Lampkin finally joined the points scorers with a hard fought three at the first section at Grey Mares Ridge, the 11th section of the day, and he went on to add another three in the Glen Stockdale group to finish with six.
Sam Haslam (GasGas) at one point threatened to take over the lead but also finished the day with six marks to add to his existing three. Even so this moved the Berkhampsted rider into a clear second place.
Kinlochleven resident Gary MacDonald (Sherco) demonstrated his local knowledge by cleaning everything the day could throw at him right up to the second section at the newly introduced Glen Stockdale, a section that took at least three marks off the entire entry apart from Robert Waite with his single dab ride.
Gary unfortunately then went on to lose more marks at the final group, Lagnaha, but managed to pull up one place on the leader board from his overnight position.
The river crossing between Glen Stockdale and Glenmuckrach proved a problem for some. On the way across there was enough height and a good landing to jump across but for the return journey a trip through the water was required.
By this time the recent heavy rain had swollen the water level to above knee height, just the wrong height for most modern machines air intake. Riders resorted to carrying their machines across, and multiple world champion Dougie Lampkin was on hand to assist a few riders with their bikes and gladly accepted a lift with his own.
Apart from Dougie and Sam's daily total of six James fry returned a fine score of just eight to climb several places overall and Dan Thorpe completed the foursome that kept to single figures on the day with nine.
The top five now reads Dougie on six, Sam haslam nine and then three riders, Sam Connor, James Dabill and Michael Brown on 14.
Once again Emma Bristow (Sherco) did enough to pull a few more marks ahead of Becky Cook (Beta) in the Ladies class, with Sara Trentini (Ossa) in third still circulating well accompanied by partner Michelle Bosi (Ossa).
The over 40 class is still headed by Jordi Pascuet (Jotagas) after his very respectable 12 mark loss of the day but jumping into the runner-up berth, above John Shirt Jnr (GasGas) is West Country man Adam Norris on his Beta.
The Newcomer award is still being closely fought over by the two 125s of James Stones (Sherco) and Iwan Roberts (Beta), with Iwan pulling a couple of points back today and is now just three behind, 41 to 44.
Thursday's 84 mile route starts at Bradleigh with the first riders arriving at around 8.30am, the weather once again looks to be a mix of broken clouds and showers, Fersit will be the place that the crowd will head too.
