Report: SSDT Media

Photos: Matt Betts

Factory Beta rider, James Dabill has won the 2019 Scottish Six Days Trial and finally brought Dougie Lampkin’s run of seven straight victories to an end and thwarted the Vertigo factory ambassador’s aim of a thirteenth victory in the Edinburgh & District Motor Club’s famous event. James was actually the last rider to win the Scottish before Lampkin’s incredible run and that was back in 2011 when he was also Beta mounted. It was his third SSDT win in total, his first being back in 2007 on a Future Montesa.

The battling duo went into the final day separated by just two marks with Dabill holding the advantage in a repeat of the final day scenario of 2018. However, whereas he snatched defeat from the very jaws of victory last year when a flat tyre caused a crushing five on Ben Nevis, this year fate was on his side.

Both riders arrived at the crucial Ben Nevis group without having parted with a single mark. The two final sections on Ben Nevis were once again the hardest of the day and arguably of the week. Lampkin arrived first and needed a big dab just after he entered the first section. Dabill, some 20 riders behind Lampkin, rode this section with ease and edged the lead to three marks.

On to the fourth and final section of the group, which was the fateful one for Dabill last year. Just as Lampkin had done in the previous section, Dabill took a big prod after he lost the front wheel on a slippery rock, but then holding his nerve positively, he got the Beta back on track to complete the section without further loss. It was all over, bar the shouting and James had set the record straight.

After the event, James said “There was tremendous pressure all week but I actually rode the bike quite relaxed. It obviously means a lot to beat Doug in this event as he just doesn’t give up and you can’t afford to lose a mark!”

Doug took defeat gracefully but jokingly said he was “…going to sulk for a week!” in the post trial interview with Trials Guru’s John Moffat, who was master of ceremonies at the presentation of awards.

Best performance on the final day was actually posted by Jack Price (Gas Gas) with a superb ride for zero marks, but even this effort was not quite enough to net him the final podium position. That honour was earned by the persistent Dan Peace (Sherco) whose single mark ride was enough to retain a hard earned third place.

Michael Brown finished just behind his Gas Gas teammate, Price after threatening a podium place all week while Iwan Roberts waved the TRRS flag with sixth place, a final day late five ending Iwan’s own podium chance.

World and British Women’s champ Emma Bristow, on the factory Sherco, not only stormed to a phenomenal win in the Ladies class, she also finished an incredible 29th overall, almost two hundred marks ahead of Jess Bown (Scorpa) and Jess had a more than capable ride, only just failing to make the top 100. All nine girls who competed in this year’s Scottish deserve total respect.

French debutante Benoit Dagnicourt (Vertigo) romped to the Best Newcomer’s award, dominated by foreign riders whilst Andy Anderson (Scorpa) eventually pulled away from Joe Dawson (TRRS) and local rider Calum Murphy (TRRS) to take Best Scottish Rider. Inverness clubman Danny Sutherland (Gas Gas) nailed the Scottish Newcomer award.

It was no consolation to Lampkin that he walked away with the Over 40 trophy from cousin Ben Hemingway (Beta) and Gas Gas stalwart Dan Thorpe while Scottish rider Stuart Mack (Beta) was the proud winner of the Services award.

So ends the 2019 Scottish Six Days Trial. The organisation, the weather, the hard-working officials and the riders and supporters all made for another fantastic week of real trials.

Day Two of the SSDT 2019 – Nevis Radio

HERE

Day one transmission of the Scottish Six Days Trial 2019 at Fort William, by Nevis Radio:

HERE

The SSDT Windows 2019 are now live in Fort William town centre:

This features Bill Wilkinson’s 1969 SSDT winning Greeves Anglian and the 1959 Ron Thomson tribute in Marshall & Pearson.

Have a look!

The Scottish Six Days Trial gets underway in a weeks time, Monday 6th May, 2019.

First man away will be veteran SSDT competitor, Carlos Casas from Olot in Catalunya on his Vertigo, celebrating 30 rides in the annual event, flagged away by the 1969 Scottish winner, Bill Wilkinson who is guest of honour this year.

The man piping Carlos down off the start ramp at precisely 07:30 will be local lad, 15 year old Ronnie McIntosh from Fort William, a pupil at Lochaber High School.

Unfortunately the official programme was printed before Ronnie agreed to do the task, of which he is incredibly proud, it was performed ably last year by another local lad, Andrew Orr.

Local trials enthusiast and Chairman of the Lochaber Piping Society, Mr Ken Cameron from Fersit who arranges the piper for the SSDT start said: “I picked up a copy of the official programme this morning and to my horror I discovered that we hadn’t told the programme editor about Ronnie being the official piper this year. I immediately contacted John Moffat about the oversight. We are all very sorry that Ronnie’s name has been missed out”.

Ronnie McIntosh is trained by the respected and renowned tutor Iain MacFadyen of Kyle of Lochalsh. As well as being a solo piper, Ronnie plays in the Lochaber Pipe Band.

It is hoped that John Moffat will be able to interview young Ronnie on Nevis Radio immediately following his performance of the piping duties early on Monday morning before he heads off back home for his breakfast.

With little more than a week until the world famous Scottish Six Days Trial takes place, the organising Edinburgh and District Motor Club have released the Trial’s Daily Routes, including mileages and observed hills (sections) exclusively available on the event website at http://www.ssdt.org.

Under the guidance of Clerk of the Course Jeff Horne, the Edinburgh and District team have, as ever, plotted a totally different course for each day, varying in mileage from 60 to 107 with a total of over 500 miles being travelled by the competitors during the six days of the event. On top of the long, hard miles on a Trials bike, each day also provides 30 observed sections to test the riders.

The traditional Bank Holiday Monday opening route eases competitors into the week over 71 miles featuring early morning action at Leanachen before heading up to Spean Bridge and then across to Kinlochleven via Blackwater to finish at the very popular Lagnaha sections.

Tuesday sees the return of a familiar route after the team gave the ground a rest in 2018. The second day of competition starts with a 24 mile road ride north to historic Laggan Locks before heading over the moors to spectator favourite, Creag Lundie.

The rest of the week takes in many of the now famous groups with Friday featuring the traditional road based 101 mile ride round the stunning Moidart peninsula before the final day on Saturday, a mere but challenging 60 miles finishing on the lower slopes of Ben Nevis, of course not forgetting the final observed section up Town Hall Brae for the benefit of the Fort William locals!

The club reminds spectators to take care when parking – DO NOT cause an obstruction and please be courteous to local traffic on the single-track roads.

Remember there is no off road access for spectators on motorcycles. Unofficial use of motorcycles could result in the loss of access to land critical for the future of the event.

Full details of the routes are at www.ssdt.org and official programmes are available at local outlets in and around Fort William as far south as Glencoe. Look for this poster.

The ‘SSDT Windows’ are back again for 2019.

Organised by Trials Guru on behalf of the Scottish Six Days Trial committee, dealers and importers will be contributing their trials machines to be put in selected shop windows along the High Street in Fort William for the duration of this year’s event (Monday 6th – Saturday 11th May). The display which has become very much a part of the SSDT week, it stretches the full length from the West End down to Nevisport. A bumper nine machines will be on display this year.

A special tribute will be set up in the window of Marshall & Pearson, 35 High Street with a very ‘local’ connection. It is the 1959 BSA C15T that was owned new in that year by Ron Thomson, a well-known local man, but there is a story to it which is told in the official programme which goes on sale locally on Saturday 27th April.

The little BSA is now owned by enthusiast Steve Owen who was happy for the machine to be displayed in the town during this year’s event which marks the 60 years since it was ridden in the trial.

And to make things even more special with SSDT Windows this year, we have secured the 1969 SSDT winning machine of Bill Wilkinson, his 250cc Greeves Anglian (WWC169F) which will be on show in the front window of VisitScotland’s Fort William iCentre. Bill will be the Guest of Honour at this year’s Scottish to mark the 50 years since his historic win. Read all about it in the Official SSDT Programme.

If you are in Fort William for the SSDT, then remember to have a look at ‘SSDT Windows’ when you are there, it all adds to the atmosphere of this very special event.

The 2019 Scottish Six Days Trial (6-11 May) official programme will be available from Saturday, 27nd April from the following outlets in and around Lochaber.

Special thanks to Mrs. Annette Chambers of Fort William for undertaking to distribute copies to local shops in Fort William, a task she has undertaken for many years now. She represents one of the E&D Community Fund beneficiaries charities, The Leanne Fund for Cystic Fibrosis.

The SSDT ’19 official programme is a ‘must have’ piece of kit for anyone watching the event, as it gives full details of where to see the action and a full rider list, detailed with early days for each daily group. There is also a pull out rider list, sponsored by Acklams Beta of Harrogate, so you can leave the main programme in your glove compartment if the weather isn’t so kind! There is a variety of articles and features, plus a past winners list from 1909 to 2018.

New Stockist added: Gleaner – Onich Service Station, 23 – A82,  Onich, PH33 6RZ

BP – Road to the Isles Filling Station, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TQ

Esso Filling Station, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TQ

Gleaner Filling Station, Fort William, PH33 6SU & Gleaner Filling Station, Invergarry, PH35 4HL

WH Smith, 4 Tweeddale Buildings (The Parade), Fort William, PH33 6EU

The Granite House, 76 High Street, Fort William, PH33 6AD

Marshall & Pearson, 35 High Street, Fort William, PH33 6DH

Co-op, Park Road, Ballachulish, PH49 4JS

Co-op, Leven Road, Kinlochleven, PH50 4RW

Co-op, Royal Bank Buildings, Main Street, Corpach, PH33 7JG

Claymore Filling Station, A82, Glencoe, PH49 4HP

Pre’65 Trial Merchandise stall at Kinlochleven (From Thursday – 2nd May)

Spar Spean Bridge, A82, Spean Bridge, PH34 4EP

There will also be an opportunity to purchase from ‘The Hub’ located in the parc ferme area (West End Car Park, Fort William) on the Weigh-In Sunday, 5th May and at the Trials UK emporium where official SSDT merchandise is also available for the SSDT fans.

The official programme is priced at £4.00, the proceeds of which support the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Ltd ‘Community Fund’, which contributes to local good causes in the Lochaber area.

For ONLINE programme sales (Contact SSDT) and up to date information on the Scottish Six Days Trial, please view the official website: www.ssdt.org