On The Pegs June 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 6 | Page 31

On The Pegs
Pipeline, Bradileg right through to and
including Glen Nevis.
As has been the case so many times in
the recent history of this hundred-year
plus event, it was again the rounded
boulders in the narrow valleys on the
lower slopes of Ben Nevis where the
drama unfolded and the marks that
ultimately decided the eventual SSDT
winner were lost. Carrying his two-mark
overnight margin forward to this point
Dabill looked very much in control until
disaster struck as his rear tyre broke
away from the rim to leave him strand-
ed and with a very untimely five-marks.
Under brighter skies and aware of the
unfolding story ahead of him Lampkin
remain calm and focused and simply
got on with his own task of plotting his
way safety through the sections in the
shadow of Britain’s highest mountain
for the loss of just a single dab that
would seem him win his seventh SSDT
in a row, this time by three marks, and
to take his tally to twelve Scottish wins
in total.
The chasing contingent proved to be
as strong as ever with local rider Gary
Macdonald - Scorpa finishing a strong
third after he kept in touch with the
leading duo throughout the week. Mac-
donald’s place on the podium came by
way of a tie-break, as he got the nod
over Jack Price - Gas Gas after they both
finished on eighteen marks apiece. Jack
Sheppard - Sherco rounded out the top
five as the Suffolk challenger enjoyed
a return to form following some recent
Vol. 3 Issue 3 - June 2018
P 31
disappointing results in the national
series.
Previous SSDT winner Sam Connor -
Beta again showed himself to be a Scot-
tish specialist with a fine sixth place as
he saw off Andrew Chilton - Scorpa and
Richard Sadler - Beta who ended the
week seventh and eighth respectively.
Locked on thirty-six marks each Guy
Kendrew - Beta and Sam Haslam - Gas
Gas claimed the last two spots inside
the top ten, in that order.
While Lampkin may have claimed
the overall win and the best over 40’s
award, Emma Bristow - Sherco perfor-
mance was equally noteworthy as she
secured thirty-sixth spot in the general
ranking and was by far the best female
rider over the six tough days of compe-
tition. Macdonald was the clear winner
of the best Scottish rider award, leaving
Dabill’s World Championship minder,
Jiri Svoboda - Beta to deservedly collect
the prize for best newcomer.
The 2018 edition of the Scottish Six
Days Trial certainly lived up to the rich
heritage of what remains widely re-
garded as the best Trial in the World,
and delivered a typically dramatic end-
ing as has been the case so many times
over the last century or so. The SSDT
lives on, and as strong as ever and wait-
ing to see if Dougie Lampkin will return
next year to defend his title once again.