Scotland hosts world bikes trialposted in MSPOR29 | 07 | 2011

SIXTY OF THE WORLD'S best motorcycle trials riders, from 15 countries, will descend on Fort William this weekend for the British round of the Trial World Championship.

Over the next two days the riders will test their skills on a series of gruelling tests, all held under the shadow of Ben Nevis, as the Highlands again becomes the focal point of world trial biking.

The event, acknowledged as being the toughest test on the seven-round world championship calendar, comes just six weeks after the centenary of the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT).

Spaniards Toni Bou, the current world champion, and fellow countryman Adam Raga, start as two of the pre-event favourites, along with Japan's Takahisa Fujinami, the world No3.

But most eyes will be on and Britain's 12-time world champ, Dougie Lampkin (pictured), who is desperate to clinch his 100th World individual round win on home soil.

"Without doubt Scotland is one of my favourite places to ride and I'm really looking forward to this year's UK World Trial," the Yorkshireman, who badly damaged ankle ligaments when he crashed heavily while leading the SSDT, said today.

"I was disappointed to miss out on my 100th win by such a small margin last year, but I'm even more determined to reach my goal this weekend.

"I damaged my ankle at the SSDT in May and I have been struggling with it ever since. Although it is still not fully fit I have just returned from Erzberg enduro in Austria where I finished second and the injury is certainly on the mend.

"Having a noisy home crowd behind me is a massive confidence boost and is one of the things which makes this event so unique. Over the years I have ridden in the Highlands several times, however still it remains special to me."

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Jim McGill

Photo: Eric Kitchen