Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Observed Trials World Champion Bougie Lampkin know that they're well on with it, but I don't know if it has been tested yet. If you can claim your seventh World title next year, you will have equaled Jordi Torres' record. How significant an achievement is that for you? It's very important for me. Obviously I've won the indoor titles, which Jordi didn't have, but the sport wasn't as serious when he was riding. To win seven consecutive outdoor World titles will make me the best rider ever, and that is all I've really got left to achieve now. If I only win six titles, Jordi's got seven, and then he's beaten me. The way things are going at the moment, I can't see anyone coming along and beating the record of seven titles, which is exactly what Jordi thought when he set it. What else is there then for Dougie Lampkin to achieve? Will you call it a day if you can claim eight titles? I'll keep going as long as I enjoy it. I'll get to about 30 and then take each year as it comes. I certainly won't be riding around in 10th position; I'll stop well before that happens, even if it's midseason. The friendly rivalry between you and teammate Takahisa FUjinami seemed strained at times this year. How difficult is it to maintain a friendship with your teammate when he's also your number-one rival? Yeah, we've had some extremely heated arguments this year, but you'll always get that with riders ranked number one and two. In Japan this year it was the worst, because he tried to change an observer's decision three times. I only saw it happen once and thought that I'd just been hard done by. It was close between Fuji and me, and, obviously, we were in Japan, so you expect that a little bit. But James had seen it happen twice before, so I squared him up at the next section, and ~e didn't do it again. He came up to me and apologized after 48 NOVEMBER 13, 2002' cue I e n _ the trial, so I'm happy to forget about it, but he knows that if he tries it again, there'll be serious trouble. Who do you see as being the riders most likely to challenge you in '03 and why? Fuji, mainly, because he's getting very consistent; then the three Spaniards: Freixa, Raga and Cabestany. It's difficult to know which of the Spanish riders will be the strongest, because their consistency still isn't there. Raga is still a bit of a loose cannon, really, so I'd have to say that Fuji will be my main threat by quite a bit, really. Many of the world's top trials riders are gUided and helped by their families in their bid to "make it" but then find it difficult to mix the father/son relationship with the manager/mechanie/minder/son relationship. Your family is as close to you today as they were when you first stepped onto the world stage. How important is it to have them around on race day, and how influential has your father been to your career? My whole family has had a huge influence on my career. John IDougie's cousin, UK Beta importer, and one of Britain's best-ever trials riders not to win a major championship] doesn't get the credit that he really deserves, though. He taught me a huge amount when it was all starting for me. Obviously he didn't have the success that I've had, but I was able to learn what not to do from him, something that's as important as learning what to do. He also taught me how to deal with sponsors. As far as my dad's concerned, I still get advice from him about riding and how to approach my riding all the time. At a trial, I can get away with anything. I could kick him in the teeth and get away with it, but if I tried to do it afterward, he'd probably lay me out cold. We do have a really good father/son relationship away from competitions. During the trial I'm the boss, but come the time when it's over, that's when I get a grilling about what I should and shouldn't have done. vv s How much do you look forward to the end of the season, being able to let your hair down and not having to worry about winning? I really look forward to the end of the season; unfortunately, it's just a bit short. Even with the international outdoor events finished, I still have a lot on with two Spanjsh Championships and an indoor trial before I get three weeks off before the start of the new indoor championship proper. I do look forward to the end of the season, because around May, June and July, things really get too busy. August, then, is reaUy quiet, which is when I try and get a week's holiday and shut off a bit. On their day, who would win - Dougie Lampkin or Jordi Torres? (Pauses) Good question. It would be a dead heat. It would be very close. I don't know really. Me in the wet, him on the dry rocks, possibly. I really don't know. We are very similar in many ways. I have a very similar approach; we both have big trucks in the paddock, like to live in [our] trucks, like to do our own thing. I waited a long time to beat him, and when I did, it really meant something to me. How do you swilch off from the pressures of being Britain's most successful motorcycle rider ever? Go back to the Isle of Man, put my feet up in front of the telly, and watch as much crap as I can. I used to playa lot of golf, but I just don't have the time anymore. It's difficult to really switch off, because even when I go out for a meal with friends, they want to know how I got on at my last event. Was there any chance that Dougie Lampkin was going to do something other than ride a trials bike?

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