Once at Chingisiin Khuree the GS riders faced the final hurdle,
the ‘Monster Trial’. Here all three team members entered the
extended challenge together and riding against the clock rode over
various banks, ditches and along a dried- up river bed before
taking on three sub-sections which further tested their bike
handling skills. These included a full-lock maze section and a GS
Trophy favourite, the ‘elephant turn’ (maybe a camel turn given
this is Mongolia!) where the riders have to spin turn their GS a
full 180o.
With a 43 point advantage going into this test, for Team South
Africa the win was theirs to lose, albeit with triple points
available they could still be beaten. But being such a
well-drilled team this wasn’t going to happen, and true to form
they put in an excellent performance, fast, slick and accurate –
and calculated, each rider forfeiting two points in the maze when
they dabbed (put their foot down) to ensure safe spin turns. It
was a performance worthy of champions, albeit they were beaten by
Team France who blazed to their second day win to come within two
points of overturning Team USA for the runner-up position.
So while Team South Africa again took the winners’ trophies, and
Teams USA and France the runners-ups’ trophies none of the GS
riders left empty handed as each rider was given the radiator
covers from their GS to take home. No ordinary covers, these had
been 3D printed in aluminium and machined with their rider number
and name integrated into the design. A memento to remind them of
eight of the most exciting days in the wilds of Mongolia, an
amazing country, on the incomparable GS, an extraordinary motorcycle.
Quote:
Mark Dickinson, Team South Africa: “It was a good day
today. We trained as hard as we could before we came to the
event and that has paid off over the days and especially
today in the final trial. But equally importantly we’ve had
fun and while the whole BMW GS community is like a family
we’ve made some especially great friends while we’ve been
here. And with the GS Trophy it doesn’t end at the chequered
flag, we’ve been exchanging addresses and social media
contact information all week and I know we’ll be in touch
and making visits on each other in the years to come. We’ve
all shared this special experience and that’s created a bond
between us. It’s been a great event, and to win again makes
it perfect.”
BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2018 Central Asia.
Final standings:
1 South Africa 338
2 USA 286
3 France 284
4 Latin America 246
5 Mexico 236
6 Korea 221
7 UK 196
8 Germany 193
9 Russia 171
10 Australia 170
11 Argentina 162
12 Southeast Asia 155
13 China 144
14Canada 137
Find all information about the BMW Motorrad
International GS Trophy 2018 Central Asia at the
dedicated website www.gstrophy.com.
Find press material on BMW motorcycle, Original BMW
Motorrad accessories and BMW Motorrad rider equipment
in the BMW Group PressClub at www.press.bmwgroup.com.
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