The greatest of all trials
On 5th May 2019, Fort William and the West End car park in particular, on the shores of Loch Linnhe, was the main focus of the trials world as Scotland once again welcomed everyone to the greatest of all trials events on the planet, the Scottish Six Days Trial. The Edinburgh & District Motor Club opened its doors to the 283 riders who had successfully negotiated the ballot to hand their machines over to the control of the superb organising team behind this iconic occasion in Scotland that has been played out since 1909. The largest motorcycle trials event of its type anywhere in the world invites the riders to compete over a very testing and demanding course, which takes in six days of trials action in the surrounding areas of this scenic Highland location. The event takes in different routes every day from its base in Fort William, with an average of 30 hazards to be ridden on each of the six days over a plotted course based on- and off-road in some of the most remote areas of this beautiful part of the world with its rugged terrain.
The talking point before the event and also during the week was who could haul in the 12-time winner Dougie Lampkin, who has dominated the event with consecutive wins since 2012. Last year James Dabill had the victory snatched away in dramatic fashion when he fived one of the closing hazards on Ben Nevis. Dabill arrived in Fort William ready for the challenge as he had last tasted victory in 2011 before Lampkin got a hold on the event in 2012. Behind these two was a group of challengers who cannot wait to fill the boots of these two rivals and make their own mark on the event.
Weigh-in day
A fine day welcomed everyone to the customary weigh-in on the Sunday morning where the machines pass through a control manned by members of the Edinburgh & District Motor Club, who mark with paint a few major components that cannot be changed on the machine during the six days.
With 283 riders to process, the focus then moves to the town centre as the police guide the full entry through the main street headed by a traditional Scottish Pipe Band, much to the delight of the residents and many of the trial’s followers. The event is supported by all the significant trials importers, who offer a free service to riders of their particular brand of machine. It is supported by some dealers who also provide a wide variety of accessories, parts and clothing, etc. to the riders as they head out on their six-day adventure.
After the parade, all the machines are then fuelled up for the start on Monday and then returned to the secure compound on the car park that becomes the home for the event. Behind the scenes, the club, supported by a team of officials, puts the logistics in place to ensure the smooth running of the event.
DAY 1: IT’S OH SO CLOSE
A long-time supporter of the event, Catalan veteran, Carlos Casas, was a very proud man as he left the Fort William start at 07.30am, with the remainder of the 282 contenders following him at one-minute intervals. It was a cold, fresh day interrupted with small signs of snow on the odd occasion before the sun shone through in the afternoon.
As the riders finished the last hazards at Lagnaha in the sunshine, there were just two riders who had kept their feet on the footrests, and they were last year’s runner-up James Dabill (Beta) who was looking at a third victory and young Welshman Iwan Roberts (TRRS).
Looking to secure the win that would be his 13th and 7th consecutive ‘Scottish’, Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) lost his only mark of the day in the final of the four hazards at the second group of the day Leanachan. Riding in close company were the Gas Gas team riders Jack Price and Michael Brown, who lost just one mark each in the Blackwater group way out on the exposed moorlands above Kinlochleven.
Behind these were many other low-scoring riders, including the experienced Ross Danby (TRRS) and Richard Sadler (Gas Gas) who were next in line on two marks lost. It was drama for the young Dan Peace (Sherco) as he rode all the hazards clean until he entered the final group at Lagnaha. With just three hazards remaining for the day he hit a marker, and a fivemark penalty spoilt a ‘clean’ day.
At the close of the day, the top 15 positions were covered by a mere five marks. The preceding weeks to the event had seen some warm, dry weather in the area which had left the many rivers and tracks very dry, which brings its own problems.
MONDAY: 30 SECTIONS, 71 MILES
OVERALL SCORES: 1: Iwan Roberts (TRRS-UK) 0; 2: James Dabill (Beta) 0; 3: Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) 1; 4: Michael Brown (JST Gas Gas UK) 1; 5: Jack Price (JST Gas Gas UK) 1; 6: Ross Danby (TRRS-UK) 2; 7: Richard Sadler (JST Gas Gas UK) 2; 8: Sam Haslam (JST Gas Gas UK) 4; 9: James Fry (Sherco) 4; 10: Andy Chilton (BMS Scorpa) 4; 11: Joe Baker (Active Sherco) 4; 12: Jack Peace (Sherco) 4; 13: Alexz Wigg (John Lee Mcs Gas Gas) 4; 14: Dan Peace (Sherco) 5; 15: Tom Minta (BMS Scorpa) 5.
DAY 2: DABILL’S ‘CLEAN
With the rotation of the riding numbers, Tuesday would be Dougie Lampkin’s early start day. After the long cold road run in the dry conditions from Fort William, the riders would arrive at Laggan Locks. This iconic hazard is no longer the daunting prospect it used to be but still takes the occasional marks. The riders would then proceed to Forest Gate where the Rocky River hazards were very slippery under the overhanging trees. It was a disaster for Lampkin, who parted with a three-mark penalty in the final section of the second group of the day. Using his vast experience of the event, which dates back to 1993 when he first took part, he remained calm and focused on damage limitation and kept his feet firmly on the footrests for the remainder of the day, including the fearsome step at Witches Burn.
In contrast, James Dabill, riding some 30 numbers behind his rival Lampkin, executed a perfect clean on the same hazard that had taken the marks from Lampkin in Forest Gate. He would remain focused all day to stay at the head of the pack on no marks lost.
For Iwan Roberts the day turned into a disaster as he slipped away from the leaders with a disastrous score of 10 marks lost, which included a stop on the Witches Burn step in front of a packed crowd of watchers.
Four-time runner-up in this event, Michael Brown moved into second position with a very steady two-mark ride for the day and just three in total. He lost one mark at Forest Gate and the other in the third sub at the spectator favourite Creag Lundie. Spain’s Francesc Moret joined Dan Peace in parting with just one mark each, which moved Dan up to fourth position overall and Moret sixth.
TUESDAY: 30 SECTIONS, 107 MILES
DAILY SCORES: 1: James Dabill (Beta) 0; 2: Dan Peace (Sherco) 1; 3: Francesc Moret (Montesa-ESP) 1; 4: Michael Brown (JST Gas Gas UK) 2; 5: Dan Thorpe (JST Gas Gas UK) 2; 6: Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) 3; 7: Andy Chilton (BMS Scorpa) 3; 8: Jack Peace (Sherco) 4; 9: Jack Price (JST Gas Gas UK) 5; 10: James Fry (Sherco) 5. OVERALL SCORES: 1: James Dabill (Beta) 0; 2: Michael Brown (JST Gas Gas UK) 3; 3: Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) 4: Dan Peace (Sherco) 6; 5: Jack Price (JST Gas Gas UK) 6; 6: Francesc Moret (Montesa-ESP) 6; 7: Andy Chilton (BMS Scorpa) 7; 8: Jack Peace (Sherco) 8; 9: Richard Sadler (JST Gas Gas UK) 9; 10: James Fry (Sherco) 9.
DAY 3: LAMPKIN FIGHTS BACK
It was time on day three for the event’s leader, James Dabill, to take his turn at the front of the entry heading south at the start of the day from Fort William before making a trip across Loch Linnhe on the Corran ferry and immediately into the first group at Ardgour. Maybe it was the cold, but Dabill’s day started on the wrong foot as he put one down in the second hazard of the day; maybe nerves, maybe cold, who knows, but it does show just how human these riders are.
The following group, named Carnoch which is a river littered with large white boulders, Dabill pioneered a new line and executed a brilliant clean on the first section of the group before parting with a ‘one’, much to his annoyance, on the final hazard — these would be his only two marks lost for the day.
Yorkshire’s Dougie Lampkin came fighting back in his usual fashion, parting with just a single mark to keep him very much in the game on an overall total of five as the day ended with Dabill still leading on two marks lost.
Maintaining his challenge for his first much sought-after first Scottish Six Days victory, Michael Brown kept the pressure on, parting with two marks for the day leaving him on five marks overall, the same as Lampkin.
Remaining in an impressive fourth place Dan Peace kept himself still in the hunt for a podium place with an impressive third-day performance equalling Lampkin’s single mark effort just in front of Jack Price, who kept his daily loss to just two.
After a disappointing day on Tuesday Iwan Roberts bounced back to move into sixth position. It was all very close at the top at the halfway stage!
WEDNESDAY: 30 SECTIONS, 78 MILES
DAILY SCORES: 1: Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) 1; 2: Dan Peace (Sherco) 1; 3: Iwan Roberts (TRRS UK) 1; 4: Sam Haslam (JST Gas Gas UK) 1; 5: James Dabill (Beta) 2; 6: Michael Brown (JST Gas Gas UK) 2; 7: Jack Price (JST Gas Gas UK) 2; 8: Ross Danby (TRRS-UK) 4; 9: Andy Chilton (BMS Scorpa) 5; 10: Richard Sadler (JST Gas Gas UK) 5. OVERALL SCORES: 1: James Dabill (Beta) 2; 2: Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo) 5; 3: Michael Brown (JST Gas Gas UK) 5; 4: Dan Peace (Sherco) 7; 5: Jack Price (JST Gas Gas UK) 8; 6: Iwan Roberts (TRRS UK) 11; 7: Francesc Moret (Montesa-ESP) 12; 8: Sam Haslam (JST Gas Gas UK) 12; 9: Andy Chilton (BMS Scorpa) 12; 10: Richard Sadler (JST Gas Gas UK) 14.