Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

World Championship Trials contender Dougie Lampkin ou g La mp kin is the hott~st property on the World Championship trials scene - of tha t there is no question. The 18year-old from Yorkshire, England, is all set to be six-time World Champion [ordi Tarres' biggest ch allenger in 1995. Yet amazingly, young Doug has only just completed his first full World Championshipse~~ • No one, not even his famous father Martin Lampkin - who, in 1975 became the first-ever World Trials Champion had forecast Doug's meteoric rise. But as Do ug 's talent flourished, the re wa s no better family in the world to make the most of the situation than the Lampkins. The Lampkin famil y is a living mo torcycle dynas ty. Not only was Martin a brillia n t trials and scrambles rider, so too were his brothers Arthur and Alan . All D three won the fam ous Scottish Six Days and Scott Trials in their time. And then there is Doug 's cousin John, who won the American round in 1983 before a serious leg injury tha t he suffered in an automobile accid ent brought his motorcycle career to a sudden halt John went on to import Italian Beta motorcycles in Great Britain. That Doug - and his youn ger brother H arry - w ould ride motorcycles was ne ver brought into question. The only point was, "How well would they ride them?" The Schoolboy scene in Britain is not as big as you may believe, although the standard of the individuals tends to be high. And to be honest, Doug was not the brightest star by a long way. Not at first, anyway. Doug first rode a motorcycle at the age of three, an Italjet Auto, bu t had actually By John Dickinson (Right) Father and son: Martin and Doug ie Lampkin have become a fam iliar sight In the World Champ io nship Tria ls Series pits. In only one short year, Doug ie has become a serious contender. (Below) Father Martin looks on as Doug ls tackles a sect ion . been given a motorcycle before he was even born. This was a present from Senor Bullo of Spain, to be held in custody by Martin until he thought the bab y was big enough to ride. That little Bultaco Chispa is still kicking around the Lampkin family home. Doug rode his first competitive lriaI at the age of nine on a Yamaha 8O-powered Whitehawk, and won, incidentally. The Whitehawk then made way for a Fantic 80, the bike for Schoolies, and Doug was soon gaining a reputation for being a hard rider, just like his dad. "He was hard on them Panties, all right, " said M~ "He could wreck 'em as soon as I could buy 'em." As mentioned, Doug was not the star of the show at this stage, he was certainly trying, bu t was more interested in having a good time with his cousin, Dan Hemingway, who rode in the same class. As he moved through the Schoolboy classes, the Fanties in turn ·made way for Betas, which was hardly surprising since cousin John was now importing them. One thing that did wind up the seemingly unflappable Doug was that when he turned 15 the family made him stay on a 125, when he d esperately w anted to move up to a 240. "Looking back, I can seetha t the y were right," said Doug. "In that year I learned a lot more about riding on the little one than if I had got the 240. But 1 wasn't too happy at the time!" And he wasn't happy when southern England rider Graham Jarvis beat him for the Schoolboy A class title that year. But the following season, jus t as he turned 16, he showed the first signs that something special was about to happen. Doug won the A cJass title in runaway fashion, winning every single round. At this stage, contrary to what you may again believe, Martin did not take all that much interest in Doug's trials riding. "To be honest, I wasn't all that bothered," sa id Martin. "I was heavily into golf at the time and Issie (Isobel, Doug's mother) used to drive him 'round. If it was a local trial I might tum up for a look after dinner, but more often than not, I never bothered." Mart "got bothered" for the first tim~ in earnest at the start of the 1993 season, when Doug entered his first European Championship rounds. This was a relatively new series, des igned to encourage young riders. "Doug asked me if I would go and look after him, so I did , and off we went," sai d Martin. "We hadn't a clue how hard the trial would be or what standard the fore ign opposition would be. Sixth place at the inaugural outing proved that the trials weren't too bad and we knew that w e could have those foreigners." It wa s a d ifferent story when the y tried their firs t World Championsh ip round in Luxembourg, which Doug competed in only days after his 17th birthday. "I couldn't beli eve the trial , " sa id Doug. "I'd never seen stuff as big as that his article has featured only Doug's international achievements. In the last month, Doug w rapped up the 1994 British Solo Trials Championship, and also wo n the infamous Scott Time and Observation Classic, which is an 80mile thrash across the Yorkshire moors, taking in 80 sections along the ,way. Doug wa s best on both tim e and observation. Add these tw o wins alon gside the Scottis h Six Day Trial, which he wo n in May during his first attempt, and you have a fantastic National trip le. "I won the Scottish Six Days at my first go, but I had been wa iting nine years just · to ride in it," said Doug . "I never missed a Scottish, even as a baby, because Dad was riding them. To have w on that, the British Champ ionship, and the Scott Trials isn't bad, is it?" . ' Not bad at all In fact, Lampkin has had an incredible year, to say the least But just to keep his son in line, Martin chipped in with, "Not bad Dou g, bu t when I did that, I was the World Champion as well!" Doug had the last word, though - "That's next year, Dad ." T

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