PressClub Nederland · Article.
BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020 Oceania. Dag 4: de (niet-)rustdag.
Wed Feb 12 08:59:00 CET 2020 Persbericht
DAG 4. Locatie: Pelorus Bridge, Zuidereiland, Nieuw Zeeland +++ Weer: zonnig, 29ºC +++ Route: 204 km, Wainui, Noordereiland naar Pelorus Bridge, Zuidereiland +++ Terrein: snelweg 204 km +++ Tests: SP9: ‘40 years of GS Quiz’, SP10: ‘GPS Challenge’, SP11: ‘Metzeler Challenge’, SP12 :‘Photo Contest 2’ +++ Top drie teams: 1. Frankrijk, 2. Zuid-Afrika en 3. Italië +++ Bijgaand het volledige, Engelstalige persbericht.
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Pelorus Bridge, New Zealand. Today’s stage was something of a liaison
as the 2020 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy transitioned from the
North Island to the South Island of New Zealand. The GS riders had
interpreted this as a chance to rest and recharge their batteries,
only with a 3:30 am call to breakfast – so as to catch the early
inter-island ferry – they soon realised, like Int. GS Trophy riders
before them, that there really is no rest in this competition until
the finish.
Nonetheless, today was a great opportunity for the GS riders to
share experiences, as with three hours on the ferry they had plenty of
time for inter-team chats. Albeit that was after they had completed
their first challenge of the day – the ‘40 years of GS Quiz’ in which
they were tested on their knowledge of this iconic motorcycle that has
become so much more than just a brand. In fact it was a ferry ride in
three parts: knowledge test, sleep and sight seeing, the latter coming
as the ferry made its way down the spectacular Queen Charlotte Sound
to the port of Picton.
In Picton the GS Trophy riders created a stir as all 140 F 850
GS motorcycles disembarked the ferry together, followed by the vast
entourage of cars and trucks that support the event. Once out of
Picton – which took all of two minutes, it’s that small – the GS
riders enjoyed a scenic ride through the Marlborough Sounds. Although
this region is world famous for its wine production, the route
followed the national park trail along the sounds and then up into the
valleys before reaching the small town of Havelock (population: 486)
where the GS riders gratefully stopped for a coffee break, or maybe
for something cooler as the temperature was uncharacteristically
hovering around a sweltering 30ºC. From here it was a short ride to
Pelorus Bridge where they found their campsite set deep in a forest,
one which was again peppered with New Zealand natives such as totara,
beech and rimu.
Even the early afternoon finish was not an opportunity to rest
as the GS riders found two more challenges waiting for them. First was
the ‘GPS Challenge’ in which the teams took their BMW Motorrad
Navigator VI GPS units and had to find their way – on foot – through
the forest to find another Navigator VI unit from which they extracted
data to be reported to the marshal at the end of the challenge. Warm
work, running through the forest in the heat of the afternoon.
No sooner had they finished this, than the riders were
shepherded to the ‘Metzeler Challenge’ where they needed to
demonstrate their prowess with the tools, changing the rear wheel on
their F 850 GS. Again, as this was against the clock the teams needed
to have intimate knowledge of the wheel spacers, chain run and brake
arrangement if they were to set a fast time.
So the event has reached its halfway point and while the
competition is hotting up, particularly with the top three being so
close on points, the going from here is set to get progressively more
testing with big days ahead in the big country. It’s going to be the
strong and the skilled who’ll prevail.
Finally, as if there could be any more to do, this evening the
teams submitted their images for the second GS Trophy photo contest.
Public voting for the photo competition will open at 00:00 (GMT+13 New
Zealand time) on February 13 and remains open for 24 hours. Go to www.gstrophy.com
for full details on how to vote.
Rider Quotes:
Jaap van Hoofwegen, Team Netherlands:
“We’ve had
a great start to the competition. It’s an amazing experience, meeting
new people every day and riding through incredible scenery. This is
the first Int. GS Trophy for the Netherlands and we were hoping to do
well, so we’re actually quite chuffed with how we are doing. Today we
have had what’s been described as something of a rest day, but we’d
have to say setting your alarm for 3:30 am to pack your tent does not
feel like resting! Anyway, we’re looking forward to the second half of
the competition where we expect the temperatures to get cooler –
maybe! – the scenery to get bigger and the challenges tougher.”
Ronnie Lundberg, Team Nordic:
“This is our first
Int. GS Trophy since 2010, so it’s great to be here. We are enjoying
every second of it, it’s been great riding on the beaches and making
friends from around the world. The scenery is amazing. On day one we
said, ‘woah, this is the best scenery we’ve ever seen!’ but our
marshal said ‘wait, it gets better’. And he was right, every day is
more magnificent. And the bike, the F 850 GS, we love the bike – the
suspension, the power, the way it’s so narrow, it’s great in the
gravel, great on the road, across everything as GS stands for. It’s a
sport bike, it’s an everything-you-want bike!”
Assada Porananond, Team Thailand
“I’m Team
Thailand’s journalist. It’s been very exciting, my three guys are
having a very unique experience. They’re also feeling exhausted,
because of the change of temperature from day to night – they’re not
used to the cold nights and mornings. Right now they are asleep on the
top deck of the ferry, hopefully getting their energy back ready for
what’s to come, which we understand will be more adventurous still! We
love riding with the other teams, we are not the best with the English
language but motorcycling – and the GS – is a common passion and that
breaks down the barriers. And the SENA communications units have
really helped us, we can talk all the time!”
BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020 Oceania.
Day 4 overall standings:
- France 226
- South Africa 223
- Italy 211
- South Korea 199
- Netherlands 189
- Russia 188
- Brazil 175
- Middle East 170
- USA 165
- Australia 160
- Latin America 158
- Argentina 155
- UK 139
- Mexico 138
- India 129
- Japan 127
- Thailand 124
- Nordic 123
- Malaysia 115
- North Africa 93
- Int. Female Team I 89
- Int. Female Team II 52
The event’s excitement will also be relayed with much more information of a more informal kind via BMW Motorrad’s social media sources:
BMW Motorrad Facebook www.facebook.com/bmwmotorrad
Twitter www.twitter.com/bmwmotorrad (#gstrophy)
YouTube www.youtube.com/bmwmotorrad
Instagram www.instagram.com/bmwmotorrad
“RIDE AND TALK – The BMW Motorrad Podcast”
Watch out for more information on the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020 – brought to you directly from New Zealand!
In case of queries, please contact:
Tim Diehl-Thiele, Head of Communications BMW Motorrad Tel.: +49
151 601 57505, Tim.Diehl-Thiele@bmw.de
Ingo Wirth, Head of Communications MINI and BMW Motorrad Tel.:
+49 89 382 25814, Ingo.Wirth@bmw.de
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