Time to pay-up for SSDT blast
By John Dickinson on 19th Jan 18
The clock is now ticking for those riders lucky to have made it through the ballot and gain an entry in the 2018 Scottish Six Days Trial to pay their due entry fee before the February 21 deadline.
With more than 500 entries having been received by the promoting Edinburgh & DMCC the 280 accepted know just how lucky they have been.
The huge demand for entries comes off the back of a fantastic week weatherwise in 2017 with not a drop of rain all week and dry tracks and moors which made for one of the most enjoyable and easy SSDTs in recent years.
Not necessarily easy in the observed sections but certainly in terms of physical effort required as the dry tracks and moors were in a lenient mood. Virtually every rider vowed to enter again in 2018, many riders spectating were sick that they had not entered and word rapidly spread at home and abroad what a fantastic week it had been.
The SSDT committee were initially not going to release a list of accepted riders until after the closing date for payment but have made a decision to print an ongoing list on SSDT.org as entrants pay up.
So, as of Sunday evening, 38 riders had guaranteed themselves a start and the list will now be updated every Sunday night.
And among that initial 38 is former winner and new Beta factory rider James Dabill, along with his World Championship assistant Jiri Svoboda. The Dibsta has made an impressive debut for Beta on the Indoor circuit and will be expected to make a really sustained attack on the Scottish Premier.
Others who will be heading to Fort William for the start on Monday, May 7, include popular vets, Yorkshires Phil Alderson and Ulsterman Harold Crawford, former Yamaha team-mates back in the 1980s.
First girl in the list is Louise Alford, along with experienced brother Chris. Bristols Scott and Mark Cameron are Scottish regulars as is Manxman Barry Kinley and SSDT fanatic Gary Pears who has around 30 Scottish rides to his credit to date.
With so many disappointed riders not getting an entry and eager reserves looking for a ride, anyone who has had their entries accepted but, for whatever reason now find that they will not be able to ride, should please contact the organisers in the first instance so that they can re-allocate the entry as soon as possible.
TMX will follow the progress each week with Scottish updates.
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Get geared-up for SSDT blast - some important preparation notes
With the Scottish Six Days Trial rapidly approaching – Monday to Saturday, May 7-12 – it is time for those lucky enough to have bagged an entry, the event was well over-subscribed, to get themselves sorted for the week ahead.
