Trials and Error by Dougie Lampkin

Author:Dougie Lampkin [Dougie, Lampkin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781471170621
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

CHAPTER 11

Whatever You Do, Don’t Take Your Helmet Off!

I’m not entirely sure why, but for some reason Montesa decided not to enter me for the Spanish Championship in 2002. I think it had something to do with all the hoo-ha that had gone on the previous year and they were probably embroiled in some political row. Since winning it in 2001, Montesa had secured a massive sponsorship deal with a Spanish company called Santiveri, who make diet food, so to be honest, I was a bit surprised by the decision. As I’ve already said, the Spanish fans seemed to like me so it must have been political. Montesa were all over me riding in the British Championship, though, so at least I’d get some time at home for a change. Funnily enough, Spaniard Adam Raga had ridden in the 2000 British Championship, so perhaps they’d all forgotten about that? I suppose the difference was that Adam was doing it for experience, first and foremost. As opposed to being instructed to compete by his team he was probably there of his own volition. I’ve always said that there’s no better experience for a young rider than riding in between flags in sections at trials. Certainly, when it comes to handling pressure. Adam struggled, if I remember rightly, and ended up finishing seventh. He was only 19, though, and it was brave of him to try. Since then we’ve had various riders come and take part in certain rounds of the British Championship, but as far as I know Adam’s the only well-known foreign rider who’s completed it. Certainly, in recent times.

Although I won the first five rounds of the World Outdoor Championship and a total of five more afterwards, the World Indoor Championship was a very different proposition, and for the first time ever in the Worlds I actually realised that, as well as getting on a bit in years (I was still only 26, mind you), the younger lads were now catching me up. There’s nothing concentrates the mind like a clever bugger who wins everything and I’d now been winning everything for the best part of six years. In that time the likes of Adam Raga, Marc Freixa, Albert Cabestany and Fuji had all emerged as front runners and, as much as that made me twitch a bit, it was obviously good for the sport. Anyway, I needed to twitch a bit because there’s nothing concentrates a clever bugger’s mind than having four or five would-be clever buggers breathing down your neck. So, if I wanted to retain my position as the best trials rider in the world, I was going to have to work hard and keep my wits about me. Getting to the top’s often the easy bit. It’s staying there that’s the problem. I was obviously well aware that my reign was going to come to an end one day, but I wanted it to be on my terms, as much as it possibly could be. Anyway, at the time I thought we’d just have to see.

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