Loading the service truck, photos of the team and departure from Milan. Impressions from the ferry crossing from Genoa to Tunis. First morning in Tunis. Departure of the teams. Riding shots.

Briefing by Beppe Gualini on riding in the sand. Riding shots in the dunes near the Ksar Ghilane oasis. Statements on the first rider training in the sand. Alexander Metayer / Team Germany: “The sand is incredibly deep. And what makes you really tired is all that helping and pushing. If you got through somehow, it wouldn't be a problem with the stamina we have. But like this it's really difficult." Tomm Wolff / Team Germany: “Unfortunately, we spent more time on rescuing and pushing the vehicles. The sand is extremely soft. And the first contact is really difficult, very difficult. But we'll practise and by the end of the event things will look different." Davide Nicoloso / Team Italy: "It is really nice, because the motorbike has got a lot of power. And so we can play with gas and can try to come out from the sand just playing with gas. It is very, very nice." Beppe Gualini: "It is the first picture. Ksar Ghilane, when I said to the guys: this is the first contact with the desert. Touch the desert. And in two minutes you found stock everywhere people and also afraid. It was done on purpose just to have a sign that the desert needs the respect."

Impressions of the oasis and of the old fort near Ksar Ghilane. Briefing on the first orientation challenge. Start of the first challenge. Tomm Wolf / Team Germany: “This was the first real challenge. Without motorbike, however, on foot, searching navigation points. And at noon when the sun is at its highest point, in the deep sand, on foot, this is a real challenge. But we have performed really well from what it looks like."

Riding shots off-road.

Impressions of the camp near the great dunes of Tembain. Briefing and maintenance work on the motorbikes. Interview with Beppe Gualini. Organizer of the GS Trophy. "We are in front of Tembain mountains and we set up a camp a few kilometres before in order to safe time, to keep more time for the driver to prepare the bike for the challenge. But we are keeping in maintain our program. It is not easy, it is hard, because the guys now start to be tired. The bikes also need more attention, because more maintenance, because they have more kilometres of hard, hard track. But they also have a super performance, because we don’t have any, any big mechanical problem. Just only ordinary maintenance. So it is important for us because we say in the start to arrive safe bike and man.

Impressions of the rider training in the dunes.

Impressions of the training. Statements of the riders: Guido Bergmann / Team Germany: “We were lucky, we were the first this morning. The Japanese were between us and the Americans, who are normally faster. They dug up the track. That's why we won.” Jonathan Beck / Team USA: “I think the 20 second gap could have been made up if we had started first.” Jimmy Lewis / Team USA: “We had to start first yesterday and last today, so we’re not getting the luck of the draw on the cards, but hey we’re finishing and everything’s pretty cool. Now we get to go ride.” Beppe Gualini: “It was a big result for me because all the guys were happy, satisfied. We don’t have any accident and doing this in the sunrise at 6.30h in the morning was really amazing. And the dunes are really better because during the night they are getting wet and the sand get much stronger.” Tsutomu Matsu / Team Japan: “This morning I tried to push hard, but I had one previous stuck with him." "So my bike became a chocolate cake.”… "But I very enjoyed this morning, the sand dune riding. So the sun feels so good. And pretty good, very good location.”

Impressions of the challenge. Statements of the riders: Jonathan Beck / Team USA: “We did good, we took first place. Our lead rider Jimmy Lewis ended up taking first for the Japanese team, got the fastest lap time, but we are fine, it’s fun.” David Borcha / Team Spain: “Today was a bad day. We can’t win always, of course. We had a problem in the third lap. It was impossible later. We were running so fast. But it was impossible.” Alex Medina: / Team Spain: “For me it is a bad day obviously. In the first challenge I lost so many time and now in the second also.” “We are a team!” Beppe Gualini / Organisator GS Trophy: “That was a long loop about 4.5km, where all the five countries start together and they have to change driver each loop. In total six loops. It was really interesting, really hard, because they were alone for the first time without team member. They have to sort it out between the dunes and the sand. But they have understood a lot in the first impact of the desert in Ksar Ghilane. And now they have done a really good job. They are really satisfied.” 6.30h in the morning was really amazing. And the dunes are really better because during the night they are getting wet and the sand get much stronger.” Tsutomu Matsu / Team Japan: “This morning I tried to push hard, but I had one previous stuck with him." "So my bike became a chocolate cake.”… "But I very enjoyed this morning, the sand dune riding. So the sun feels so good. And pretty good, very good location.”

Briefing on challenge. Impressions of the challenge.

Impressions of the deep sand riding. Claudio Brusa / BMW Italy: “Maybe I had to train 30 days ago to drive on the sand and starting 30 days after with all the other people. I did not have enough time to train. So my legs twisted when I fall into the fesh-fesh. I will follow the race from the car.”

Impressions of the challenge. Announcing the winners of the challenge.

Impressions of the challenge. Statement Beppe Gualini / Organisator GS Trophy: “You have seen the real GS Trophy spirit because first of all, all team members who were not driving, were on the location of the flag in order to give help to the other teams. And the team that did complete the challenge jumped around the track just to help the others. So it was really, really good for the team spirit.”

Impressions after completion of the challenge. The Spanish team singing. The Italian team celebrating with Beppe Gualini. The German team letting themselves fall in the sand. Group photo of the entire trophy team.

Shots of the desert.

Impressions of the team and the people of Tunisia.Folklore.

Beppe Gualini announcing the winners. Group photo with all riders. Closing words by Beppe Gualini. Statements of the riders: Jonathan Beck / Team USA: “It was amazing, it was great. Camping in the dunes is a very unique experience. Got a lot of sand riding again. Playing around on the beach, got to see some unique stuff, out of ‚Star wars’. A very unusual trip. It went well.” Jimmy Lewis / Team USA: “It wasn't just about speed because we had that pretty good. But it was about being safe and making sure that you got your whole team to the finish and did it in a good time as well. And then, of course, keeping the whole caravan moving. That was the other interesting part. Because the riding was difficult. I mean especially with the bikes in the sand. It was pretty tiring for a lot of the guys. It was trying for sure. You know, you saw it. It was a good time.” Ennio Bragagni / Team Italy: “The Trophy for me was a really exciting experience. Because it was the first time that I was in the desert and I appreciate the organisation of the GS Trophy. It was very simple to follow. It was the first time that it went into the desert. And I’m very happy, because I found very, very great friends, because everybody helps each other. And in this case I appreciate who is friend, who is not. You can test also the people that you are together, because it is very hard, it is a very new experience. So I’m very happy to take part. And I say thank you to BMW because that is one chance that happens once in a lifetime.” Tomm Wolf / Team Germany: “Yes, awesome, we are completely happy. We took second place, we fought hard, our team was just awesome. Now we go celebrating and hope that we get the chance to experience this again soon.” Dirk Remmel / Team Germany: “A great event, we can only recommend it, we will remember it as a gigantic event, I'm sure.” Mikami Katsuhisa / Team Japan: “There are very good logistics, Beppe and Clemens, the mechanic. Everything is perfect. So I really enjoyed it. So next time I want to have this event in Japan.” Statement Beppe Gualini / Organisator GS Trophy: “When we announce the winner, in a few days they can never forget the sand and the desert. Now we say the desert fever they got it. This is the only thing that they will remember. And I’m sure in a short time they want to come back as soon as possible.” “For sure we have different skills between one group and the other one. For sure the Americans have a very high technical level. But they have also a really high level of team spirit, because it is also a philosophy of the Americans. But we have also wonderful teams like the Japanese team, the team with more technical problem, but they never want to stop, they want to go all the time ahead. And they have also more energy from the friend that was in the back. It was all time, that they have a team in the back just to give help. If you are in front of the dune and you are afraid, you are alone, you are lost. But if you are afraid and you have a friend you can go and overtake the difficulties.” “I think when we decide, the BMW management, to organize the Trophy our idea was to improve the country, because the more countries we have the more interesting it is, the more we open the world of our GS Trophy. So I hope in the next Trophy to have double the countries participating in the GS Trophy.” “I think in the first GS Trophy there is not only a team that win. There is also our F800GS because this bike is a standard bike, it is not