Dougie Lampkin wheelies his way across the entire Isle of Man TT course into the record books

12-time Trial World Champion and Red Bull Athlete, Dougie Lampkin has become the first person to successfully complete the iconic 37.7 mile Isle of Man TT course in the UK on just one wheel

DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN - SEPTEMBER 25:  Dougie Lampkin of England during his attempt to wheelie the entire Snaefell Mountain Course on September 25, 2016 in Douglas, Isle of Man.  (Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images for Red Bull) // Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool // P-20160925-00925 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //
DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN – SEPTEMBER 25: Dougie Lampkin of England during his attempt to wheelie the entire Snaefell Mountain Course on September 25, 2016 in Douglas, Isle of Man. (Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images for Red Bull) // Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool // P-20160925-00925 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //

After much deliberation on whether a continuous wheelie lap of the iconic 37.7-mile Isle of Man TT course has happened before, or is even possible, motorsport legend and Red Bull Athlete Dougie Lampkin proved to the world that it could be conquered. He set off from the famous Grandstand start line in Douglas at 5 pm, completing the lap in one hour 35 minutes. The entire wheelie was telecast live on Red Bull TV.

Setting off a little too fast, Lampkin had a struggle on his hands to settle down into the first few miles. The wind proved to be an ongoing concern through the most challenging milestones of the course. As expected, the infamous mountain section made for tense viewing as Lampkin fought gusts of 40mph.

Speaking after crossing the finishing line, Lampkin commented on just how tough the attempt was: “Up to ten times I came close to dropping and I thought I’d lost it twice.  When you’ve lost your balance and your right leg comes off, you’re in massive trouble.  I couldn’t rely on the rear brake at that speed.”

A special mission like this required a special bike, and Dougie and his engineering team, headed by Francesco Romani and Blackie Holden, spent months in their skunkworks creating the machine for the job. Based on a Vertigo Combat Ice Hell, the 300cc bike was modified to make the riding experience as easy as possible for Dougie.

Summing up the incredible effort after months of grueling training and modifications to his Factory Vertigo trial bike, he said: “I feel absolute massive relief. The build up to it, seven months of planning, everything that’s gone on like the nightmare with the weather yesterday and still strong winds today on top of the mountain, I was just hanging on really. It wasn’t over until a couple of metres from the end but that last couple of metres was just amazing.”

Even for someone with Dougie’s experience, the challenge is a tall order. When questioned about his preparation to endure the challenge and main stress points, the trial biker said, “It’s quite hard on the feet, ankles, knees, shoulders and neck. It’s not really pinpointed in certain areas, it seems to be a little bit of everything, because I’m in quite a tense position the whole time. I’m steering with my legs, and using my right foot for the brake and right hand for the brake. Then when I turn I’m hanging the bike on my shoulders a little bit. So everything is getting a bit of a workout. It’s physical everywhere and also mentally difficult, because of the time scale and the fact that there’s so much going on around me, from people shouting to people overtaking and beeping horns”

DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN - SEPTEMBER 25:  Dougie Lampkin of England with his bike before his attempt to wheelie the entire Snaefell Mountain Course on September 25, 2016 in Douglas, Isle of Man.  (Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images for Red Bull) // Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool // P-20160925-00973 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //
DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN – SEPTEMBER 25: Dougie Lampkin of England with his bike before his attempt to wheelie the entire Snaefell Mountain Course on September 25, 2016 in Douglas, Isle of Man. (Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images for Red Bull) // Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool // P-20160925-00973 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //

Dougie’s Wheelie is the first live broadcast of a sporting event from an island synonymous with groundbreaking motorsports records. Viewers could attempt their own virtual wheelie on a specially created mobile game at dougie.redbull.tv during the broadcast. Posting their results via social media, a leaderboard ran throughout Lampkin’s attempt with Arno Cotman from Belgium declared champion as the show ended.

You can watch the full broadcast of this great feat here: http://www.redbull.tv/live/AP-1PBETMPFW1W11/dougie-s-wheelie

For more information about modifications of the bike: http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/motorsports/stories/1331818765861/dougies-wheelie-dougie-lampkin-bike

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