Amazing 11th win for Lampkin at SSDT
By TMX Archives on 7th May 17
Dougie Lampkin has done it again, he has won the SSDT for 11th time, bringing to Vertigo its third win in a row. What is more, this years performance has been one to be remembered, as Dougie remained clean until the penultimate day of competition.
Fort William held once again one of the most popular and valued races within the off-road racing industry. The SSDT (Scottish Six Days Trial) has been once again a huge success in terms of public attendance, as well as organization and participation, with riders facing 30 sections each day, with about 100km to be done in every stage of the race.
This edition has been quite different to the last ones. The weather was quite unusual for what SSDT has historically brought, as sun was shining the most of the days in the Scottish Highlands. With such a good weather, sections remained in quite a good conditions, something that for instance, brought five riders at the top spot after day 1, all of them with 0 marks. One of them was Lampkin.
The former multi FIM World Trial Champion had prepared himself quite hard before this year's SSDT, with a training program that began three months ago. Yet, Dougie proved to be in a good shape at the "3 Days Trial of Santigosa” a few weeks ago, where he was able to snatch a top five finish, fighting against top riders from the TrialGP Championship.
Second day was almost like the first one, as Dougie remained faultless through the 30 hazards, keeping the yellow leader board on his Vertigo Combat Ice Hell. His rivals couldn't do the same, so Lampkin was then the new only leader of the SSDT, with still four days to go.
Showing great smoothness, and feeling really comfortable at the helm of his Combat Ice Hell, Lampkin scored another feet up day in day 3. The Vertigo ambassador look great through the rocky sections at this halfway stage of the 2017 SSDT. By then, he was at the top of the pile with a margin of 3 marks over the Spaniard Jordi Pascuet and his compatriot Jack Price (Gas Gas).
Thursday was presumed to be the toughest day of these SSDT for Lampkin, being one of the riders to be at the front of the running order, and for this reason, he was one of the first riders to go through the sections, founding them still slippery and plenty of more difficulties as not many riders went over them before.
Despite that fact, Dougie collected another great day, without dropping a single mark and remaining faultless with only two days remaining, on what was turning to be an extraordinary performance, with Dougie making history in the SSDT once again.
The penultimate day would neither be the one to saw Dougie leaving a single mark. For the fifth consecutive day, Lampkin kept his feet right on the footrests to maintain his yellow leader board on his Combat Ice Hell, now with Jack Price (Gas Gas, 6 marks behind) being the only one holding the pace set by Dougie.
Even we were almost at the closing stage of the SSDT, Dougie was still fresh on his riding, maintaining a solid lead and looking forward to what the closing stage had in store for him.
Saturday was the day that could bring Dougie another record to his already large list, by being the first ever rider to end the SSDT with 0 marks. The record was set back in 1961 by Gordon Jackson with 1 mark, and Dougie was really close to break this historic performance.
Not only looking for this new record, but searching his 11th win, Lampkin has begun this final stage trying to secure the victory, and so he did by ending at the top of the pile once again in the SSDT. Even he hasn't been able to earn the record, Dougie has extended his legend in this popular race, giving Vertigo its third straight win.
This has undoubtedly been an historic win both for Vertigo and Dougie Lampkin.
