Scotland's global trial bike secret 29 | 04 | 2011
THE SPORTING LINK which ties Pathhead, Edinburgh and Fort William together doesn't immediately make itself apparent, which is strange considering it's been in existence for 100 years.
The Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT), the world's oldest surviving motorbike trial competition, gets underway in Fort William on Monday and this year it celebrates its Centenary.
Organised by the Edinburgh and District Motor Club, the man responsible for pulling together the six-day test of endurance, stamina and skill, and which attracts many of the world's best trial bike stars, is Pathhead's Mark Whitham.
With a full-time day job in telecommunications, Whitham, in his overseeing role as Clerk of the Course for the SSDT, is only one of more than 100 volunteers who combine to make the event the global success it is. But he acknowledges it strangely remains one of Scotland's best kept secrets.
"For some reason it's never quite captured the imagination of the general Scottish public," Whitham — who will oversee the efforts of 275 riders covering up to 100 miles and 30 sections of obstacles, including flowing streams strewn with slippery boulders, on each of the next six days — admitted.
"It's very much an insular sport, but the reality is for trial bike riders, this is their equivalent of the Isle of Man TT Races; this is a major event in global trial-biking."
Many would argue it is only second in world status behind the FIM Trial World Championship, coincidentally also being held in Fort William later this year in July.
"The Scottish Six Days Trial is unique simply because we use the natural terrain to test the riders, plus it's held in spectacular scenery which is the best in the world," Whitham continued.
One of the principal draws of the event — the first Scottish motorcycle trial, which started in Edinburgh and ended in John O'Groats was held in July 1909, two years before the creation of the EDMC — is the fact it runs over thousands of acres of privately-owned land normally closed-off to the public.
Riders from as far away as Australia, and as diverse as Israel and Norway, will join fellow competitors from around the world, including Canada, Italy, Andorra, Austria and Germany, plus the traditional huge contingent from Spain and Belgium.
While Yorkshire legend, 12-times world champ and five-time SSDT winner Dougie Lampkin will start as one of the favourites, local hero Gary MacDonald aims to become the first Scot to win since Bob MacGregor in 1935.
A joiner by day, MacDonald, the 27-year-old from Kinlochleven and who has previously finished third, is desperate to mark the 100th anniversary of the event with only the second-ever Scottish win.
"Every year I start the event believing I can win, and this year is no different," the Highander explained. "Hopefully this year my local knowledge will help me lift the Centenary title when we finish next Saturday."
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Jim McGill
Caption: Alexz Wigg, winner of the 2010 Scottish Six Days Trial
Photo: Eric Kitchen