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Dougie Lampkin: World Trials Champion

With an amazing twelve World titles to his name, Dougie Lampkin has used the last decade to establish himself as a true motorcycling legend. Whilst some sportsmen may have struggled to keep their feet on the ground (a sin in the sport of trials) after having enjoyed such a degree of success, the broad shouldered Yorkshireman remains unaffected by his achievements, the associated fame, and remains totally motivated by his ultimate goal of striving to be the best trials rider ever.

Dougie has the right pedigree to cope with his global success, as his father Martin, who was Britain’s last World trials champion back in ‘75, has closely guided him as his career has developed. The Lampkin clan are surely the World’s most famous motorcycling family with many successful members, but none more so than Martin’s eldest brother Arthur, who was a regular winner of the highly popular televised scrambles back in the ‘60s.

’With a heritage of two wheel sport in his blood Dougie was always destined to follow in his father’s famous tyre marks. However it was his mother, Isobel that was put in charge of his schoolboy career. Martin took a back seat, choosing to watch his eldest son’s development from a distance. Although Dougie clinched a pair of youth British titles in the top two age groups, Martin still rated his emerging son’s ability as ‘nothing special’.

93 saw Dougie move into the adult ranks, where he was soon upsetting the establishment with his rapid arrival to the podium on a regular basis at Domestic level, with some recognised results secured Martin decided it was now time to offer his full support. A hectic schedule of World and European events during his debut season bonded the father and son partnership into a formidable team that was about to taste its first real success. A typically fighting performance gave Dougie his first World point in Andorra, but it was a dramatic and nail biting finish to the European championship that saw the young Lampkin produce his first class ride while under extreme pressure, to clinch his initial major title.

That single emotional day in France is still fresh in Martin’s memory and was enough for the former champion to reconsider his respected opinion of his son’s potential. ‘What he did on that special day left me with no doubt, he had certainly got what it takes to go the whole way.’

Martin was not wrong as the following year at his home round Dougie scored the first of his now many World trial victories, though that initial break through on British soil in front of a passionately patriotic crowd remains his most cherished. Sixth overall at the end of that season signalled that Lampkin junior was on the charge up the international rankings.

An improving fourth and second places in the World championship during the following two campaigns built a solid foundation for Dougie’s forthcoming domination of the sport. Seven Outdoor and five Indoor titles in the last nine years ­­­confirms just how balanced Dougie’s recent performances have been. Enjoying victory is a passion with the Lampkin clan, so despite his successes Dougie remains incredibly hungry and determined to carry on winning long into the future….

Article supplied courtesy of Dougie Lampkin Official Website

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