SSDT Day Three - Brown still on top at mid point
By G2F on 5th May 10
Michael Brown - Sherco remains at the top of the leader board, as today marked the mid point in the 2010 Scottish Six Days Trial. However with three tough days still to go, Brown has seen his advantage cut to just two marks, as he dropped two dabs in the final section of the day compared to Alexz Wigg - Beta who parted with just one dab in today's thirty sections.
Ben Hemingway - Beta matched Wigg's score and has now moved into third spot in the general standings, as Scotland's Gary MacDonald - Gas Gas loss of three marks for the day now puts him in fourth position overall. The 2007 victor James Dabill - Gas Gas now completes the top five after Albert Cabestany - Sherco lost further ground to the front runners after such a strong opening day.
Today's route of a mere seventy seven miles was a welcomed respite for the riders who have made it this far, with it being a relatively short day sandwiched between Tuesday's and Thursday's runs which are the longest of the week and that are notoriously brutal on bikes and competitors. However the sight of the infamous waterfall at the top of the first group at Trotter's Burn was not the start to the morning many were hoping for.
The best two performances of the day were by enduro star Tom Sagar and last year's winner Dougie Lampkin - Beta, who both completed all the hazards without loss. Whilst Lampkin continues to pull his way back up the leader board, he now holds twenty-second position overall, with two consecutive clean rides his day was not without incident with him suffering both front and rear wheel punctures at different points in the day.
Further repairs were called for in the Gas Gas pit area back at the parc ferme, as team boss John Shirt Jnr arrived back with a badly buckled and broken front wheel. Despite having had to limp home Shirt matched his number one rider Dabill by losing just two marks for the day, however both were upstaged by Sam Haslam who dropped just a single dab to become the best Gas Gas rider of the day.
With Spain's promising newcomer Cabestany losing a five in the third group of the day, Scottish Six Days Trial Specialist Ian Austermuhle - Beta is now on level terms with the World contender after only dropping one mark today. So with three days still to go, including tomorrow's demading route, just five marks splits the top four positions with so much still to ride for. Although Brown remains in the driving seat, he will know from his past experiences that he still has a mountain to climb if he is to add his name to the famous trophy.
2010 Results
Day 3 - Daily Positions / Scores
1: Dougie Lampkin - Beta - 0
2: Tom Sagar - Montesa - 1
3: Sam Haslam - Gas Gas - 1
4: Alexz Wigg - Beta - 1
5: Ian Austermuhle - Beta - 1
6: Jonathan Richardson - Sherco - 1
7: Ben Hemingway - Beta - 1
8: Phil Disney - Beta - 2
9: Michael Brown - Sherco - 2
10: John Shirt - Gas Gas - 2
11: Richard Timperley - Sherco 2
12: James Dabill - Gas Gas - 2
13: Joe Baker - Scorpa - 3
14: Gary MacDonald - Gas Gas - 3
15: Stephen Dixon - Scorpa - 4
Overall Positions / Scores
1: Michael Brown - Sherco - 5
2: Alexz Wigg - Beta - 7
3: Ben Hemingway - Beta - 8
4: Gary MacDonald - Gas Gas - 10
5: James Dabill - Gas Gas - 12
6: Albert Cabestany - Sherco - 13
7: Ian Austermuhle - Beta - 13
8: James Lampkin - Beta - 17
9: Jack Challoner - Beta - 19
10: Ross Danby - Gas Gas -19
11: Jonathan Richardson - Sherco - 23
12: Tom Sagar - Montesa - 25
13: Craig Robinson - Gas Gas - 26
14: John Crinson - Beta - 26
15: Dan Hemingway - Beta - 27