World Outdoor Trials Championship Motegi, Japan
Round 4 Day 1 Saturday (2 day event) 02/06/07
 Dougie
Lampkin saw a potential podium finish disappear on the first
of two days of competition at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit
near Tokyo, Japan. Lampkin was riding well and demonstrating
the kind of form for which he is famous, but a damaged wheel
cost him time penalties as it was repaired and in an attempt
to minimise the damage, he rushed the final three sections
of the first lap, picking up marks. He also fell and injured
his right hand, which affected his second lap considerably,
leaving him down in sixth place.
Lampkin’s day started very well; on the eleven sections
before he suffered the broken wheel, he dropped just seven
marks, which would have put him in a solid third place by
the end of the first lap. However, on section twelve, he landed
short and felt his factory Cota 4RT move underneath him. He
picked up a five on that hazard and then discovered that the
rear spokes and brake caliper had been badly damaged. The
Montesa mechanics were able to replace his rear wheel before
the start of the next section, but not without incurring time
penalties on the first lap.
Once back on the bike, Lampkin was understandably keen to
make up for lost time. However, this meant that in his haste,
he picked up a five on the following section, with a dab on
the penultimate. Then, on the final section of the first lap,
he suffered a fall from near the top of the final obstacle,
a huge water-covered rock face. As he fell backwards, he dislocated
his right index finger; his front brake finger. He completed
the second lap and finished the event in sixth place, but
this did not justify the quality of his riding earlier in
the day.
Lampkin stated: “It was a real shame, as I felt I was
riding well to start with – certainly better than sixth.
After my finger dislocated it was put back and I finished
the lap, but of course, without being able to use it –
my front-brake finger – it was impossible and I was
in real pain. But the medical staff here did a very thorough
job of checking it and there’s nothing broken, just
a torn ligament. So I’ll be out in some shape or form
tomorrow for the second day. But it’s just a shame that
something like this happened on a two-day trial and there’s
still a day to go.”
|
