MOBILITY/MOTORCYCLES/REPORT: The BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022: Day 3 summary
Summary of Day 3.
Location: Farma Sotira, Albania
Weather: Sun and clouds, 18-26° C
Course: 200 km: from Lake Ohrid to Farma Sotira
Terrain: 80 km asphalt, 120 km mountain/forest trails
Tests: SP1: ADVANTEC Challenge, SP2: LEATT Enduro Trophy
The three best placed men’s teams:
1st United Kingdom, 2nd Thailand, 3rd South Africa.
The top three women’s teams:
1. Germany, 2. South Africa, 3. Mexico
Farma Sotira, Albania. The BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022 set off for the south in a hurry today! With 200 km, 120 km of which were forest and mountain trails, the goal for the day was clear. The GS riders pushed forward on the gentle mountain tracks and fought for every centimetre on the rocky and muddy forest trails.
The day started comparatively leisurely with a ride on a high-altitude trail into the hills above Lake Ohrid. Wide, flowing trails on a surface of well-compacted red earth suited the BMW R 1250 GS very well, with smooth, efficient progress.Day 3 summary.
Location: Farma Sotira, Albania
Weather: Sun and clouds, 18-26° C
Course: 200 km: from Lake Ohrid to Farma Sotira
Terrain: 80 km asphalt, 120 km mountain/forest trails
Tests: SP1: ADVANTEC Challenge, SP2: LEATT Enduro Trophy
The three best placed men’s teams:
1st United Kingdom, 2nd Thailand, 3rd South Africa.
The top three women’s teams:
1. Germany, 2. South Africa, 3. Mexico
Innerhalb einer halben Stunde fuhren die GS-Fahrer:innen zu ihrer ersten Sonderprüfung des Tages, der ADVANTEC Challenge. Bei dieser Prüfung musste das gesamte Team in eine 15 x 15 m große Einzäunung auf einer Weide fahren, eine Flasche ADVANTEC-Öl von einem der Marshals abholen und sie dann, während des Fahrens, von einem Teammitglied zum nächsten weitergeben, ohne einen Fuß abzusetzen – oder zu stürzen. Erst als der dritte Fahrer die Flasche in seiner sicheren Obhut hatte, konnten die drei die Einzäunung verlassen und die Zeit wurde gestoppt. Ein hervorragender Test, der Aufschluss über das Handling der Maschine und die Aufmerksamkeit der Fahrer:innen, aber auch über ihr Planungsvermögen gab.
Within half an hour, the GS riders drove to their first special stage of the day, the ADVANTEC Challenge. In this test, the entire team had to drive into a 15 x 15 m fence in a pasture, pick up a bottle of ADVANTEC oil from one of the marshals and then, while driving, pass it from one team member to the next without setting foot – or falling. Only when the third rider had the bottle in his safe custody were the three able to leave the fence and the time was stopped. This was an excellent test of the riders’ handling and attention to detail, but also of their planning skills.
Afterwards, the riders took to the road again to complete a liaison stage which, as so often during the GS Trophy, brought them into contact with various aspects of Albanian life. As always, they encountered the most diverse means of transport: from donkeys to a motorised fruit stand to luxury class vehicles. But always the people were cheerful and kind.
In the second half of the morning, the GS riders rode on more pleasant trails in the mountains. These were well-maintained gravel roads that led up into the mountains and ran through pine forests. At one point they stopped briefly at an 18th century monastery. Afterwards, an unforgettable ride awaited the participants. This ride over a perfect tarmac road, winding up and down, left and right through the mountains, never going straight for more than 100 m, again offered the kind of active riding that the BMW R 1250 GS is simply best for.
After a small snack break on a plateau, the riders started the second half of the day – and a completely different adventure. They crossed a natural forest with all kinds of deciduous trees that formed a cooling canopy, but which also retained a lot of water on the forest floor, but especially on the narrow paths struggling through the undergrowth. After enjoying a kind of rally track and almost a road race track in the morning, the riders were now confronted with difficult enduro conditions.
The route was a mixture of steep, rocky climbs and endless mud holes littering the track. Even a deep river had to be crossed. It was, in short, a challenge right to the end, bringing sweat to the riders’ foreheads and smiles to their faces.
This afternoon stretch was an indescribably impressive route. After almost nine hours of riding, the riders finally reached the second test of the day, which took place only a few minutes away from the night camp at the Farma Sotira accommodation, close to the Greek border.
The “LEATT Enduro Trophy” exactly matched the mood of the team riders, who had to complete a short enduro course around a rocky outcrop. High on the experiences of the day, the teams mastered the test with determination and, as they say, at full throttle.
Tomorrow, the GS Trophy will see a round trip starting and finishing at Farma Sotira. It will be the shortest day of competition, but probably also the most technical.
Quotes:
Jim Duplease, Team USA: “Today was overwhelming, it exceeded all my expectations. The whole trip is insane! I can’t believe the speed we managed, I was worried it was going to be some kind of tour today, but then the day went at absolute top speed so I’m really excited to be here. I don’t even care how we do in the competition because the experience is already so great. It’s not really about the competition either, it’s about finding and catching up with people from other countries, like the team from South Korea who are riding really well so I was delighted to ride with them today – and our marshal was on fire too. Just terrific.”
Tim Schlage, Team Germany: “What a day! So much water. Sometimes clean water when crossing the river, but then again so much dirty water – big holes, 50-60 cm deep, and a lot of mud. And great mountain sections, littered with rocks and very technical – I like it! But the day was very, very hard. We rode together with the team from the UK and had a great marshal, so that was a perfect ride today.
And also our night camp is unique, in the middle of a meadow surrounded by horses, sheep, ducks, chickens – a fun ambience!”
BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022
Southeast Europe.
Day 3, Overall standings:
Men’s teams:
1st United Kingdom 112 points
2nd Thailand 100
3rd Germany 87
4th South Africa 78
5TH USA 62
6th China 2022 61
7th South Korea 58
8th Japan 57
9. Netherlands 56
10. China 2020 53
11. India 51
12. Brazil 50
13. Latin America 43
14. Mexico 34
15. France 33
Women’s teams:
1. Germany 137
2. South Africa 119
3rd Mexico 111
4th France 103
5th Latin America 87
6th Brazil 71
BRAND: BMW AG
virtualdesignmagazine Michael Hiller
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