BMW Motorrad Thailand recently organised an intensive 4-day training program to rev up BMW Team Thailand riders ahead of the International GS Trophy 2020 competition, to be held in New Zealand from February 9-16 2020.
According to BMW, the three riders – winners of the GS Trophy Thailand Qualifier 2019 – underwent rigorous training at Enduro Park Thailand, Chonburi province. The practice sessions covered long-distance off-road adventures as well as different competitions to hone biker’ skills – ranging from riding, navigating, and mechanical maintenance skills to physical endurance. All three riders were tasked with completing challenging missions in simulated situations in order to build on the experiences before taking on the pressure of the real competition.
Alexander Baraka, president, BMW Group Thailand, said, “This is the first time in the history of International GS Trophy that Thailand will participate as Team Thailand as we previously joined up with other countries under the banner of Team South East Asia. As BMW Motorrad Thailand realizes the importance of prepping the team ahead of the challenge, we are delighted to have supported all three riders in their preparation before the international competition.”
BMW provided the BMW F 850 GS for the training. This mid-size touring bike delivers outstading off-road capabilities with its two-cylinder in-line engine outputting 95 hp, ‘Pro’ riding modes and 21-inch front wheel. It will be used by Team Thailand to tackle the challenging terrain throughout the 8-day International GS Trophy course in New Zealand.
The trainer team led by the legendary Tomm Wolf – who goes by his nickname “Mr. GS Trophy” and is credited with laying the foundation for the BMW Motorrad training program and the riding activities for BMW Motorrad adventure bikes – along with experts from Enduro Park Thailand. All three riders of Team Thailand also had the opportunity to get to know, share experiences and train with Team India, one of the rivals in the competition.
“Participating in the International GS Trophy is a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience for GS bikers as it is not a rally or a race but focuses mainly on team spirit and tests of skill. With the completion of this training, I believe that both teams have acquired additional skills from the experts plus lesson learned from their friends and themselves during the preparation, which will definitely lead to improvement and better results afterwards,” Mr. Wolf highlighted.
BMW Motorrad hosts the International GS Trophy every two years for real off-road enthusiasts, and it has been well-received by BMW Motorrad GS riders around the globe. The competition challenges participants to explore the world and master every obstacle in their path as teams from all over the world engage in a two-wheel adventure over 7-8 days on a 2,000-kilometer route with gravel, sand and stone surfaces. Since its inception in 2008, participants have ridden through Tunisia, South Africa, Patagonia, Canada, Thailand and recently in Mongolia in 2018. This year, the GS Trophy will take riders to New Zealand to face ideal terrain and conditions for exciting trail rides and grueling challenges across rainforests, glaciers, high plateaus, mountain peaks, fjords, countless uplands and woodlands.
