We have finally settled on Namibia as the BMW International GS Trophy 2024 off-road adventure location. Now that it has circled the entire planet, the Int. GS Trophy is making its way back to Africa, the original site. Among Namibia’s many impressive animal species are the “Big Five” and the stunning landscapes surrounding them. Sunsets that are reddish-brown mark the end of many scorching days. The starry sky is a sight to behold on many nights. The journey to Namibia promises an unforgettable adventure filled with #SpiritOfGS. It is something we’re looking forward to.
Riding the BMW R 1300 GS Trophy Competition, the competitors faced off over 1,350 kilometres in Namibia, Africa, testing their mettle in individual and team events. Team India ranked tenth at the event on September 15, 2024.
On day one in Ai Aiba, you’ll face a challenging 270km journey, split between 240km off-road and 30km on asphalt, with two unique stages. The first obstacle course occurred in a decommissioned copper mine and consisted of sand, stairs, drops, and tight curves before culminating in a dash to a bell. Team South Africa finished the day with 41 points in the men’s category, while Team Germany came in second with 31. Along with Japan and South Korea, Team India tied for eleventh place.
Japan’s squad finished first with 41 points in the women’s division, followed by France’s 36 and Benelux’s 37.
The second day of the race began at Spitzkoppe, and the riders set out from the drier terrain of Ai Aiba Reserve on an off-road journey of 180 kilometres, complete with two special stages. It was a ropeway challenge; racers had to lift their bikes from one ledge to another in the first stage. Riding a bike path back to the beginning was the second stage’s difficulty, which involved circling a vast granite rock. The men’s category standings were unaltered at the day’s completion.
Benelux and France were just behind Germany in the women’s division, and Benelux overtook Japan to share first place with 71 points.
The first part of the day was a 45 km ride from Spitzkoppe to the banks of the Omaruru. There were three challenging stages there. The first part was a treasure hunt, and the next part was a task to fix flat tyres. As part of the third stage, riders took on a trial track in deep sand in a timed relay. The men’s race was still led by South Africa at the end of Day 3, with Germany and the International Team close behind. The Indian team did well today and moved up to fifth place overall.
Regarding women, the International Team was in first place, followed by France, Japan, and Germany, who were only three points behind.
On Day 4, riders set out on a 244 km trip from Kleine Spitzkoppe to Swakopmund, a town on the coast. Along the way, there were two special stages. In the first task, the riders had to pull a teammate for 50 meters, making it look like the bike had run out of gas. The second task was a time trial. One rider would go on a course with sharp turns and steep rock climbs, and the next rider would begin as soon as the first one got back.
On this day, Germany passed South Africa to become the winner of the men’s event. The International Team came in third. Team India had a bad day because of a minor technical glitch that meant they didn’t get any points in one of the tasks. It put them in 10th place overall.
Regarding women, France quickly took the lead, followed by Germany and Japan.
Contestants rode 430 km from the coast back to Midgard on Day 5, where the adventure started. It wasn’t the most challenging day, but it was the longest. Teams also had to cover three special rounds. In the first part, riders had to push-start their bikes down a steep off-road hill. As a second task, they had to fill out a questionnaire about BMW Motorrad’s history and models during lunch. The last task was a slow trial. The goal was to go through a timed course as slowly as possible. If you dipped or dropped something, the timer stopped.
Germany’s lead over South Africa grew, and Brazil became the top three. Team India improved and moved up two spots, ending the day in eighth place. They were only seven points behind third place, though. France stayed ahead in the women’s category, while the International Team moved to second place and Germany down to third.
On the last day, there were 50 km of steep, rocky paths before the previous particular challenge. It was the hardest part of the competition, and there were several drills, such as riding up steep dunes and making tight turns over rough territory. Unfortunately, Team India got stuck on a sandy slope that other teams had broken up, and they did not make it out in time.
After everything was over, Germany won the title in the men’s category, and the International Team won its category for women. India came in 10th place overall, which is the best finish by an Indian team since we began going to the GS Trophy in 2018.
Reference Link
https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-news/ultraviolette-f77-mach-2-now-exported-to-europe-432968
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