Fort William once again hosted the most popular race in the trial world. The SSDT (Scottish Six Days Trial) has once again been a success in terms of spectators, as well as organisation and participation, with the riders having to overcome 30 sections per day, on a route that extended around 100km on each day.
This edition has differed a little from the previous ones in the meteorological aspect, as the sun has been the protagonist in practically all the days of competition. With good weather reigning in Scotland, the areas remained in good condition, a factor that led to 5 riders tying at the top of the provisional standings on the first day of competition without having left a single foot. Among them was Dougie Lampkin.
The twelve-time World Champion had prepared thoroughly for this new edition of the SSDT, with a training program that began three months ago. Already in the “3 Dies Trial of Santigosa” we saw him in a very good shape, being able to finish within the Top5, fighting alongside leading riders
of the TrialGP World Championship
.
The second day followed the same script, with Dougie being able to stay at 0 points after overcoming the 30 sections of the course, thus maintaining the yellow number of leader. His rivals could not do the same, so the tiebreaker in first place was undone, with Dougie as the only leader with 4 rounds of competition remaining.
Again showing an excellent level, and feeling very comfortable on his Vertigo Combat Ice Hell, Lampkin scored a perfect day for the third consecutive day. Ambassador Vertigo continued to be outstanding in his passage through the rocky areas of the day that already marked the halfway point of the race. At that time Dougie was leading with a 3-point margin over the second-placed Jordi Pascuet and Jack Price (Gas Gas).
Thursday was one of the most difficult moments for Lampkin, being one of the drivers who would start the earliest in the starting order, and who would therefore find some quite slippery sections and in a rather complicated state. Despite this, Dougie once again finished with his points locker completely empty, a feat that undoubtedly continued to add to his legend in this mythical event with only two days to go.
The penultimate day also saw Dougie set foot on Scottish soil. For the fifth consecutive day, Dougie would finish the day with 0 points, consolidating his position in the lead of the race, and with a 6-point margin over his compatriot Jack Price (Gas Gas), the only rider who was still standing up to him. Despite the fact that we were practically at the end, Lampkin continued to ride at a very high level, having already overcome 150 sections and covered approximately 500km.
Today was the day he could consecrate Dougie Lampkin once again as the king of SSDT, but this time, with the possibility of adding a new record to his long list. In 1961 Gordon Jackson managed to finish the race with only 1 point, Dougie hoped to beat him and become the first driver in history to finish it with 0 points. Far from obsessing over it, Lampkin went out to secure the victory and drive as he had done on all the previous days. Finally, an eleventh victory for him in the toughest test of the trial, giving Vertigo his third consecutive victory, although he was able to set the record, something that is totally in the background, because by achieving this eleventh victory, Doguie Lampkin continues to write his history in the SSDT in golden letters.
This has undoubtedly been a historic victory for Vertigo and for Dougie Lampkin. Our Combat Ice Hell has proven once again that it has the performance to perform at the highest level and in the most demanding situations. Three consecutive victories in this mythical race fill us with pride, and reward the effort and dedication that the Vertigo team puts day after day into the creation of the best possible trial bike for lovers of this magnificent sport.
FINAL STANDINGS
VIDEO PROLOGUE CONFERENCE | SCOTTISH SIX DAYS TRIAL 2017
DAY 1 | SCOTTISH SIX DAYS TRIAL 2017
The first day of the 2017 SSDT race ended with a very tight qualifying, where up to 9 riders completed the course without penalty. In that group are several of the big favorites, including Dougie Lampkin, Jack Price or Jack Sheppard.
With only one point to their credit, there is another group of seven riders where there are also great contenders for victory, such as Jordi Pascuet or Michael Brown.
