GS Trophy 2018 Mongolia – Day 6 Recap
Team USA and AusAmerica move up the rankings after today's special tests.
Day 6 of the 2018 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy proved to be unique in the history of the event. Scouted, planned and prepared was a 283 km course taking in the plains and mountains of the region, but with the route falling within an area experiencing an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (among the livestock) the course had to be adapted.
Instead the GS riders needed to follow the highway most of the way to their destination, Camp Khatan Ugij. But this didn’t halt the special tests and in the morning came SP14, ‘Time Trial’ where each of the team members had to ride a trials course through a stand of trees on the banks of the Tamir River – the trick being each had to replicate the time through the course of their teammates. So if the first rider completed the course in 1:30 minutes his two teammates had to get as close as possible to that. After the special test, the GS riders took to the road to reach their overnight bivouac.
Yet the time was used creatively, ostensibly with a visit to the historic 16th century Erdene Zuu (Buddhist) Monastery, once home to as many as 1500 monks. But as well the GS riders were experiencing modern Mongolian culture as they dropped in on local stores and even a coffee shop along the way, each being excellent opportunities to converse with the local people. Failing that, the motorcycles are always a good starting point for conversation and many times local motorcycle riders (typically riding Chinese-made 125cc machines) would compare mounts with the GS riders using the common language that is the feeling and appreciation for the motorcycle. And while the GS riders are protected by their BMW Motorrad Rallye suits it was interesting to see the locals riding in traditional Mongolian dress of tall leather boots, loose breeches and smock-type coats, topped with a broad-rimmed felt hat.
In all, the GS riders made the most of the relaxed time schedule; having so thoroughly experienced the land, now they were taking the time to connect with the culture. And in a final act of community, the entire GS Trophy contingent came together to ride the last kilometers into the bivouac – quite a sight as the fleet of GSs plus the support vehicles rode in convoy.
Once the teams were in camp, the competition started again with an archery contest (archery being a traditional Mongolian pastime). Here the Indian team impressed when one of their guys scored two impressive on-target shots – only on the wrong target! And still they finished third… A great challenge that was both competitive and entertaining. In all, a great day. The loss of today’s planned course could have been a disappointment, but instead the riders capitalized on the free time to discover new depths to this unique and wonderful country.
Team USA and AusAmerica Updates
We’ve also got updates on Team USA and AusAmerica (Women’s Team) provided by BMW MOA’s Shawn Thomas, who is an embedded journalist at the GS Trophy…
The AusAmerica International Women’s Team had a spectacular day of scoring, moving up from 18th place to 11th place overall! The day began with unusual circumstances of the quarantine described above. Consequently, the planned 200 mile off-road trek became 150 miles of mostly asphalt, with two of the special stages cancelled due to lack of access. To overcome this, facilitators created an impromptu ribbons course in a grove of trees. The goal was for each team member to ride the course separately, but to enter, ride and exit the course at the same time (if the first team member ran the course in 1:30, then the other two team members would try and complete the course as close to 1:30 as possible). The the AusAmerica Women’s team performed with perfection, tying for 1st place with Team USA!
The AusAmerica team also performed well in the second challenge; an archery tournament hosted by the lodging facilitators. Each team was provided 8 arrows and tasked with hitting a target at approximately 75ft in distance. The Women scored very well; combined with their win at the ribbons course (which was worth double points), their overall ranking was raised to 11th place / 110 points! Team USA finished mid-pack in archery, but combined with their stage 1 win—which counted for double-points—were elevated to 2nd place behind South Africa! Congratulations to both teams!
There are two more days remaining in the GS Trophy Challenge, stay tuned for more updates!
GS Trophy 2018 Day 6 Overall Standings:
1 South Africa 239
2 USA 194
3 Mexico 162
4 Latin America 154
5 France 149
6 UK 147
7 Korea 142
7 Russia 142
9 Germany 134
10 Argentina 117
11 Ausamerica (female team) 110
12 Australia 106
13 Canada 105
13 Southeast Asia 105
15 Japan 90
16 Eurafrica (female team) 84
17 China 79
18 India 78
Catch the Day 5 highlights here:
Check out the GS Trophy Day 5 Recap.
Check out the GS Trophy Day 7 Recap.
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