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OBSERVED TRIALS 75TH SCOTTISH SIX DAYS TRIAL By John Dickinson FORT WILLIAM, SCOTLAND, MAY 5-10 he Scottish Six Days Trial is one of the oldest events on the world feetup calendar and in 1997 the organizing Edinburgh and District Motor Club were celebrating the 75th running of the famous event which, world rounds apart, is by far the biggest trial in Britain. This year the club took a big gamble by running the event on a nonstop basis, returning to the old rule of constant forward motion in the observed sections with a total ban on stoEping, reversing, static-balancing, etc. While critics thought the event wouldn't get entries being run that way, they were wrong: A total of 222 riders signed on to ride almost 40 more than last year. Others said that modem riders, particularly trick-riding aces like eventual winner Steve CoUey, Graham Jarvis, and in particular the likes of 17-year-old Martin Crosswaite would never come to terms with nonstop riding. Wrong again. "You have to really go for it (with the nonstop rule) and it suits me," Colley said. "I can still do the trick stuff but at 20 mph, not at a standstill." . Spectators and competitors alike said many times that it was much more exciting to watch the likes of Colley and Crosswaite ride nonstop. And a major benefit to the event itself was the drastic ForI William, Scotland Steve Colley rode to the win at the historic Scottish Six Days Trial, scoring just 10 marks. cut in waiting time at the sections. In difficult sections - where a line of an hour built up last year, with riders constantly stopping and balancing - this time there was a maximum wait of a couple of minutes. Factory Gas Gas rider Colley amazed even himself with his convincing win at the historic event, staged as usual around the historic town of Fort William, nestled on the banks of Loch Linnhe in the remote Scottish Highlands. After completing the grueling course - which averages 100 miles per day on road, two-tracks, and miles of strengthsapping boggy moorland, and taking in a total of 180 observed sections (30 each day) - CoUey completed his week with a loss of just 10 marks. This proved just four better than fellow World Championship competitor Graham Jarvis, with third-place Wayne Braybrook way behind them with 31. "I actually enjoyed the Scottish for the first time this year," Colley said. "It is no secret that I hate riding in the cold and wet for eight hours at a time, and basically I ride here because I'm told to. But this year it was fun. Riding nonstop wasn't a problem. In fact, if all trials were as much fun as this has been, I'd really be happy." The only rider. to top the on-form Isle of Man ace all week was Braybrook, who took his Montesa around penaltyfree on Wednesday to temporarily dislodge CoUey from the top spot. But Colley had been riding his early-number day (starting order is rotational t.o ensure a fair trial) and his day had cost him seven of his eventual 1G-point loss. In fact, Colley went clean an amazing three times - on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Braybrook cleaned Wednesday and Jarvis alone kept his feet up on Friday, leaving Tuesday as the only day of the week on which there wasn't a single clean sheet. Colley was best that day, with just one point. The trial started Monday with an easy-ish 82-mile route which gently eased the 222 starters in to the week. The opening group of six sections at Lagnaha proved the toughest of the day and woke the competitors up after a 17-mile ride on the road. Colley, however, breezed through the lot to set up his first zero-scoring day. The following 22mile Blackwater moorland crossing got competitors into the swing of crosscountry riding, and the 6.5-hour time limit proved a comfortable allowance to see mostly smiling faces in the parc ferme on Monday evening as they guided their machines into the overnight secure control. The only surprise on the result sheet was German Hans Greiner, who had eased his Fantic around for just eight marks. Spaniard Carlos Casas led the Continental challenge on 12 marks, well ahead of Gas Gas export manager Andreu Codina, who lost 23. "Many problems today," said Codina, who has been an SSDT supporter for many years. "]t is a brand-new bike and I have been preparing and tuning it on the way around." While the opening day had been a breeze, day two turned out to be pure hell. To start with, the 109-mile route took in two of the worst moor crossings. Adding to the difficulty was the tight time limit, and to cap it off the weather conditions deteriorated dramatically. Competitors got the full treatment: freezing winds, driving rain, hail and snow. And the eight-hour time allowance proved not enough for the route but far too long to be stuck on a bike. Despite the worst SSDT weather conditions in the last 10 years (although, inevitably, the grizzled veterans spectating reckoned it was like a summer day the weather was really bad when they rode 50 years ago), Colley still circulated with a loss of just one mark. Braybrook took two, while British Gas Gas teammates John Shirt and Steve Saunders escaped for just four apiece. Because of the weather, though, time had proved too tight and only the fittest, or those who didn't bother looking at the sections, got home within the limit. After the results had been published, the club, in an effort to please the majority, added 15 minutes to the time limit, which caused an uproar among the top boys as Jarvis, who had originally lost 11 on time, saw this penalty wiped out and his loss for the two days stood at five and not 16. One rider who was more than happy to get 15 time penal ties back was former Suzuki and Montesa factory rider Nigel Birkett, who was. competing in his'27th consecutive SSDT, all of which he has finished. Birkett dropped a mammoth 40 on time Tues.day, mainJy due to a rear-tire blowout some 15 miles from the finish. Wednesday came and went with threats of protests and counter-protests regarding the time situation, though nothing ever came of these. The day's route was effectively Monday's in reverse, with a little extra-tough moorland out on the dreaded Rannoch moor. This was to be Braybrook's day - he rode to a clean - while Colley was still up at the front, though riding when the creek sections were at their slipperiest, to score seven. As a result, Braybrook led on four marks ahead of Colley's eight. "I have been riding Scotland now for 11 years and this is my first clean day," Braybrook said. "It feels great." As Thursday dawned, the weather was still cold with wintry showers, but at least the extreme conditions from Tuesday were a slowly receding memory. But, for those in the know, the club was about to hit the survivors with the toughest day of the week, and again time would be marginal. In store was a 115-mile marathon, starting with a 30mile ride down the historic and imposing Glencoe area before breaking across open country for the full journey across Rannoch moor. For the fit World Championship riders it was an excellent day on a bike. For the sad, unfit, beer-soaked club boys who frequent noisy pubs each evening, it was like some kind of sadistic punishment for allowing their bodies into such a state of decline. But they reckoned to enjoy their week. Colley made a mockery of the sections to again go clean. His ride through the tricky final section at Chairlift was typical: Where most struggled through the rockstre.wn creek, Colley simply leaped the Gas Gas 10 feet across the hard bit before trickling to the end cards. Awesome stuff. Former American World Round winner John Lampkin was having a nightmare day, dropping a mighty 34 in the sections. "I think I've lost it," a genuinely bemused Lampkin said. "I could b-e spectating next year." The second-to-last day is always a little different, being largely road-based. The nO-mile jaunt follows the blacktop around the picturesque Moidart peninsula with its superb highland views. But with the riders being tired after five days in the saddle, the sections still take some effort. Fri.day belonged to Jarvis as he pushed the Scorpa around clean. With Colley parting with two marks, Jarvis kept the pressure on right until the final day. Of the remaining 200 riders, only Braybrook k,ept his daily score in the single figures to remain in touch, although with no real chance of victory now. The final day looked easy on paper but was no pushover. It was relatively short at 67 miles but still contained a final moorland crossing. Riders could smell the finish line now, though, and summon up hidden reserves in order to get them back to Fort William. Colley was once more absolutely brilliant to end his week with a clean, and enjoyed popping a bot- . tJe of champagne on the podium on Fort William's high street. Jarvis finished with just a dab to his name, as did former four-time SSDT winner Steve Saunders. Saunders finished a fine fourth 'overall, but ran i.nto trouble later when he was awarded the 200cc Cup: Most know lie was riding a 250cc Gas Gas dressed in yellow plastic... I.'N Scottish Six Days Trial Fort William, Scotland Results: May 5-10, 1997 1. Steve Colley (G-G) 10; 2. G,.ham j.rns (500) 14; 3. Wayne Braybrook (Mon) 31; 4. Steve Saunders (G-G) 37; 5. J. Shirt (G~G) 51; 6. Robert Crawford (Yam) 56; 7. Marlin Crosswaite (Bet) 67; 8. A. Norris (Yam) 75; 9. A. Huddleston (Yam) 75; 10. R. Williams (Yam) 83; 11. P. A1der.;on (Yam) 84; 12. j. Lampkin (Bet) 85; 13. C. C.... (Mon) 90; 14. And,eu Codino (G-G) 99; IS. J. Noble (Mon) 101.