2025 – Scotland post 9
A big change and controversy here in Scotland for the fifth and penultimate day of the Scottish Six Days Trial.
Spanish superstar Adam Raga, riding in his third SSDT – the last was 25 years go – who has been leader or joint leader through the week, was penalised five marks at the Chairlift sections for momentarily touching a section marker card just before he exited the section.
The five mark penalty drops him to second position with seven marks lost whilst Jack Peace who went clean on Friday takes over the t4ial lead with a healthy 4 mark advantage.
In third is Billy Green, who along with George Hemingway went clean on the day with the younge4 He,ingrate a clear 3 marks ahead of fifth placed James Dabill.
The news of Raga’s penalty reached the nearby sections of Ba House and then Gorton long before the former World Champion reached the sections which has changed the whole nature of the trial.
It is clear that Raga’s attendance at the trial has been a positive for the general popularity of the event; there appear to be more spectators to the trial than the event usually enjoys at this late stage of the week, and there is no doubt that Raga is popular. For years people have been asking why the world stars don’ t attend the Scottish, now that one is here, it’s a great shame that zealous observing has undoubtedly cast a cloud over the event.
Setting out sections for the trial is an arduous task and for years, the sections boundary definitions have always been A4 size red and blue cards, usually held in place by bending the card in half and securing it to the ground or on top of rocks by two strategically placed rocks. It is not a satisfactory method and this week there have been many times when the card has been placed in a location where it is inevitably going to get knocked away from its position without a rider touching it.
There was a ridiculous situation on Thursday where the card had been placed on the top of a large almost square boulder. Unfortunately, the popular line through the section was close to the boulder. Spinning rear wheels dislodged over time the supporting shingle, the rock tilted at an angle and the card and rocks fell off the top. A spare observer was requested to monitor the positioning of the card and for maybe half an hour he replaced the card after the passage of every rider. It is to be assumed that riders were not being penalised for the card moving, as they were considered not responsible. In the end the supporting rock rolled out of the section and the card was placed on the ground, out of the line of fire as it were. Consideration of card positioning has not been ideal many times this week.
Whilst the card Raga touched was very close to the natural line in the section, whether it was right to penalise the trial leader is a matter of opinion, but there is no doubt, many felt that this decision may not be to the best reputation of the trial.
All the Northern Centre riders appeared to be in fine fettle that have reached this stage, but unfortunately the available daily results don’t declare who has retired, but everybody who should have been at the Gorton sections, arrived and in the appropriate running order.