SSDT: Dougie goes clean on Friday
By John Dickinson on 7th May 16
Although a check on Thursdays results saw Dougie Lampkin credited with a one mark loss, not a clean ride, reducing his lead over Michael Brown to just four marks, Doug put the situation to rights on Friday going clean for the day a feat shared with Vertigo team mate James Dabill to extend his lead in the 2016 Scottish Six Days Trial to six points, with just Saturdays 30 sections to go!
With Browny dropping just two marks on his early start day, keeping losses to a minimum, there is al still to play for on Saturday
Amazingly, although there were two clean rides, only seven of the surviving contenders, after five days, kept their daily score in single figures, DIbsta's clean sheet boosting him into a clear podium position at the expense of Joe Baker, the Sherco rider dropping to eighth after a 20 mark loss on his early start day when nothing went right.
Also on the rise was Beta UK teamster Jack Sheppard whose loss of three for the day saw the Ipswich rider up to fourth place, just ahead of Gas Gas duo Sam Haslam and Alexz Wigg with Scorpa's Gary Macdonald, plus Joe Baker and Sam Connor right behind.
Friday saw the familiar road based run round the Moidart peninsular but with several new groups, Morven featuring a nasty, loose rock climb up a steep, washed-out riverbed and a new final group at Ardgour, near the Corran ferry, which would set competitors and spectators alike back to Fort William.
The clean rides of Lampkin and Dabill simply do not show the severity of the sections, like the steepness of tricky WDs and Camasnacroise or the large, round boulders at Mealll Nam Each and Kilmalieu.
Tom Hooper continued to impress on the 125 Sherco with another superb ride, dropping just 19 marks and holding a top 20 slot as well as a convincing lead in the Newcomers over Dan Peace.
Emma Bristow has really hit her Scottish stride, now 36th after a cracking day and holds a massive advantage in the Ladies stakes as Madrid girl Sandra Gomez took her Gas Gas into the runner-up slot as Becky Cook slumped on the day.
So once again, all is set for a Saturday finale and with Doug having moved towards the front of the field once again regarding starting order, with Michael now tucked away at the back of the pack all is set for a nail-biting final 30 subs as nerves now play a huge part in the battle for the 2016 Scottish Six Days Trial...
