Dougie Lampkin and Vertigo win the Scottish Six Days Trial

He has done it again. Dougie Lampkin, a trial legend, once again clinched the Scottish Six Days, trial’s most iconic event. This marks a sixth win with Vertigo and a fourteenth title at the endurance trial. Lampkin held the lead from the first day through to the finish behind the handlebars of his Vertigo Nitro RS.

With more than 270 riders taking part in this 110th edition of the Scottish Six Days Trial, including 55 Vertigo bikes, the twelve times world champion Dougie Lampkin once again staged an outstanding performance. Aboard a Vertigo Nitro RS, the 47-year-old British rider won at the end of six gruelling days of competition – some of which were 100 miles in length – in and around the Highlands and Fort William.

Dougie Lampkin had not originally intended to be in the battle for the victory in this edition of the Scottish Six Days Trial – the legendary SSDT – but rather had planned it to be an introduction for his son Alfie into trial’s most renowned event. Alfie, who has been competing in this year’s trial world championship in the Trial3 class aboard a 125cc Vertigo Nitro RS, made his Scottish debut in style, posting a top 30 finish with a strong showing that placed him third among the 125cc riders.

The win on the first day was claimed by Dougie, who held onto the lead until the end, finishing the final day on zero to beat his closest rival by two marks. Lampkin’s Vertigo Nitro RS turned out a flawless performance over six days of arduous riding through endless rivers and the ever-lurking traps around the Blackwater area. Lampkin now has fourteen SSDT winner’s trophies to his name.

The SSDT: a mechanical challenge

The Scottish Six Days Trial is an event where endurance is vital. In fact, the trial was specifically created to put off-road motorcycles to the test. Today, over 100 editions after its conception in 1911, the world’s longest-running trials competition has become something of a target for trial bike manufacturers. It should not be forgotten that Vertigo was created for this unique, tough competition: water, mud and extreme weather conditions make the Six Days such a tough endurance trial. This year, once again, the Nitro lived up to the great mechanical challenge, demonstrating its high quality and reliability.

The win marks Vertigo’s sixth triumph at the Scottish Six Days Trial, with other riders from the marque also featuring among the most outstanding: Alexz Wigg posted tenth place and Sam Yeomans nineteenth, as well as the Frenchman Benoit Dagnicourt who finished twenty-third. Congratulations to all the riders who succeeded in making it through such a tough trial.

DOUGIE LAMPKIN 

To win the Scottish again feels amazing. This year was always going to be different and special having Alfie ride with me and make his SSDT debut. It’s been a tough week as it always is up here but it’s also been a week to remember as Alfie had ridden fantastically and we have been able to enjoy six long days riding together. Winning for a fourteenth time is the real icing on the cake.

Photos: John Hulme/TrialMagazineUK