Roy Bridge trials star joins his hero
Rising Roy Bridge trials star Ben Dignan has a new team for a new decade, joining his hero, Dougie Lampkin, as a member of the Vertigo family.
Dignan, just 16, is the latest emerging talent to join Vertigo UK, with the Lochaber youngster, who has already won national titles both at youth and 125cc adult level, having recently agreed terms for the 2020 season.
This comes with some additional support from the Vertigo factory to assist Dignan with the overseas exploits he has planned for the coming months.
Having caught the eyes of Vertigo ambassador Lampkin over the past couple of years, the ex-multi world champion was keen to get the teenager in Vertigo colours for what will be both a busy and important season for the teenager, as the latter looks to build on the excellent third place he achieved in the 2019 European Trial Championship.
The past two seasons have seen Dignan ride a limited number of Trial GP events, as he prepared for a full assault this year.
Heading for Japan in early June, Dignan will contest all five events of the 2020 Trial 125 series as he looks to make his presence felt among the front-runners following the consistency he showed during last year’s Euro campaign.
Closer to home, the ex-national youth champion will compete in the eight round 2020 British Trial Championship that gets under way in March.
Dignan will switch up to a larger capacity bike for the domestic series, swapping his normal Vertigo Vertical 125 for its bigger brother – the Vertical 250 – as he goes in search of another national title to add to the 125 crown, which he secured last year.
Schedule allowing, Dignan will also look to take in other selected events both at European and national level, but will unfortunately not make his Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) debut until 2021 having only turned 17 a few weeks earlier during what will be a heavy exam period.
Dignan said: ‘Moving teams was not an easy decision as both John Shirt and Gas Gas have been good to me, so I would like to say a big thanks to them.
‘On the other hand, having the opportunity to ride for Dougie [Lampkin] and the Vertigo team is really exciting and is something I am really looking forward to.
‘Right now, my priority is to get practising as much as possible so I can be ready for the first round of the British.’
Lampkin, who has known Dignan and his family for a number of years, said he had noted Dignan’s development from a young boy to a rider with real poitential.
‘Over the past couple of years, he has certainly started to make his mark and hopefully with the support he will received both from Vertigo UK and the Vertigo factory he can step up another level this season,’ added Lampkin.