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© Bob Mullins   

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I can't believe after all the weeks of sunshine, we go to Fort William for the SSDT and it rains on the parade! After the rain and hail showers o Sunday afternoon, we all expected a wet week in Scotland, however I was not quite prepared for how wet it was on Monday! We actually started off in fine weather, but by the time we had done a few sections the heavens opened and it didn't really stop raining all day. The rain was so heavy on the way to Lagnaha that my face and mouth went numb because of the rain battering down so hard! I found Monday really difficult, especially with the return of Lagnaha sections that are renowned to be tough and after pushing through the sections to get some threes I realised that half of my rear tyre had come off the rim. I then had a mad rush going sideways, speedway style, down the rode to the time check to try and avoid having any marks on time. It was definitely an interesting day on Monday and I did ok despite the horrendous weather. The results showed that I was 2 behind Iris Kramer (Scorpa) in the ladies class and just ahead of Donna Fox (Sherco), which I was well pleased with.

As the week went on the battle for the ladies award became a bit of a talking point and how we managed to loose such similar marks is quite a coincidence really! On Wednesday we were placed consecutively in the results, I was one mark ahead of Iris and Iris was one mark ahead of Donna, we just couldn't believe it! We all knew that it was going to down to whoever could drop the least marks on Saturday would take the Prestigious Ladies Award.

I think the highlights of my week were having some good rides through difficult sections, on Tuesday a double clean at Creag Lundie (after being baulked when I tried to run over Tim Pearson and Richard Suffell!) lifted my spirits big style then on Wednesday I was really chuffed to get through the last section at Meall Nam Each for a single dab, then on Thursday another double clean on the double sub at Lochs Wood. However my claim to fame and I'm still smiling about it now is doing the last sub at Trotter's Burn for a dab on Friday afternoon. After 3 previous year's failed attempts I was determined to get up it this year so I just shut my eyes, wound back the throttle and suddenly I was at the top!

After having so many good rides this week and being consistent all week I am hugely disappointed to have lost out on the ladies award L as I knew it was so easily within my grasp and especially after leading all week. I don't like making excuses but I have a few and I'm sticking to them! All of team JST Gas Gas were early round on Saturday, and I'm not joking but the sections to even the good riders like Dan T, Shirty and Braybrook were really difficult because they were so slippery. So I was finding getting through some of the sections for 3's was a big challenge and I fived loads, and of course all this struggling zapped my energy stores and by half way round I was feeling weak.

Just to add to my misfortunes my bike had a bit of an expedition when it fell off it's stand and down an 8 ft drop at Pipeline. At first it looked OK but after several strong men hoisted it back up it looked and felt wrong. The front end was all twisted and my lovely boyfriend Dan wiped away my tears and tried to help me fix it, however trying to ride it in a straight line was a bit of a challenge!

So from then on my lack of energy and low spirits lost me the ladies award, I was gutted because I knew that Iris was at the back of the entry and would have maximum grip on the slippery sections. However if I could go back and do Saturday now, I would make sure that I did not give in next time and try to remain positive even when things went wrong and I think I could have easily beaten Iris and Donna, if I had not have beaten my self belief up.

It's a good job that Iris and Donna are good friends of mine because we were all happy to have had such a close battle all week and we knew that it was going to be hard when one of us had to win and another loose.

Just a final note to thank all the SSDT organisers and observers for putting on such a cracking trial.

Also to Andy, Factory Kev and Luke at Gas Gas for providing a fantastic support service and my bike ran brilliantly all week. To Shirty and the rest of the JST Team riders, my Mum, Dad and Dan for their endless support and encouragement all week. I will be back next year and as long as Laia Sanz doesn't ride again, that Ladies Award will be mine!