BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy Central Asia 2018. Day 5. The grass is greener…

Camp Munkh Tenger, Kharkhorin, Mongolia. A day of two halves today,
on Day 5 of the 2018 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy in Mongolia.
In the morning the GS riders continued their journey with a 100 km
ride across more of the semi-arid Mongolian Steppe. In the afternoon
the riders entered into a new world, a mountain landscape where sheep,
cattle and horses grazed on green pastures and the fragrance of alpine
flowers scented the air – an intoxicating mix after the sparse nature
of the desert.

The morning certainly was an endurance test as first the riders took
on special test 12, ‘Ongi River’ – a classic multiple river crossing.
The challenge here wasn’t the water, which was shallow, but the
shingle banks that were deep! Best run of the day came from Team
Ausamerica, the second female team, not on account of their speed but
for applying exceptional teamwork. The 100 km ride down Telegraph Road
was not a romantic as the song (by Dire Straits) suggests, as the
riders had to settle in for a long haul, with many sections of the
gravel tracks rippled by trucks and at the end came a 35 km section of
trail that weaved between grassy tussocks where again dust clouds and
loose sand meant the riders needed to stay alert. The hard yards of
the morning were repaid in kind when the GS riders reached the
mountains and green valleys of the Khangai Nuruu National Park, where
clay mixed with the sand (instead of rock) making for gentle trails
that climbed and descended one valley after another. The riders were
spellbound by the vibrance after the emptiness of the desert. A truly
magical ride. A second special test late in the day, called ‘Orhon
View’, saw the riders challenged to a trials ride around some giant
stones on a high peak (with spectacular views). A great test in the
most incredible location. When the GS riders finally reached camp,
some as late as 7 pm (having started at 7 am!) they had just a short
time before facing another special test, the ‘Metzeler Challenge’,
that saw them tackle a tyre change against the clock. And after that,
the final task of the day – a rush to submit their photos for the
day’s Photo Competition. In all an exhausting, yet enervating day.

Quotes: Apis Sagimin, Malaysia, Team Southeast Asia: “Today was an
awesome day with the landscape changing so dramatically – very very
different to what we’ve had so far, the ground turned green with grass
and we rode into the mountains and many river crossings – we haven’t
seen a river since we’ve been here so this was special. For me riding
is a long journey, it is not a race, but today our team could still
feel happy about our performance in the special tests, we improved on
yesterday. But I miss the sand, it was exciting to ride!” Craig
Keyworth, Team UK: “We’ve had a good day – we’ve maintained our
consistent averageness in the special tests! But the highlight of the
day was when we rode into some amazing views just after lunch – this
was what we were expecting from Mongolia. I even picked my spot for
where I’d build my house if I were ever to move to Mongolia! It was so
spectacular that today was the slowest I’ve ridden in all the five
days – so I could take it all in.” Konstantin Zolotarev, Team Russia:
“It was perfect today, after the Gobi Desert to come into this green
valley and fields of green grass was an amazing feeling. Yet our
highlight so far has to be our time next to the sand dunes of the Gobi
Desert. While we were sad not to ride in them we’ll remember them
always for the sandstorm that hit the campsite that night. One of our
tents tried to fly away but we managed to save it, and we saved a guy
from the Mexican team as well who really struggled with his tent. We
were fighting our way around the campsite in our goggles as the sand
flew and in the end the Mexican had to spend the night in one of our
tents with us! In the challenges we are doing not so bad, not so good,
we’re somewhere in the middle. The GS Trophy for us is about the
experience, the emotion, meeting the other teams, this is the most
important part of the GS Trophy; the challenges are just part of the
game, it is fun but not more. The sharing of travels through this
amazing country is the main event.”

BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2018 Central Asia.

Day Three overall standings:

1 South Africa 195

2 Latin America 139

3 Korea 131

4 USA 130

4 France 130

6 Mexico 114

7 Argentina 106

7 Russia 106

9 UK 103

10 Germany 98

11 Australia 80

12 Canada 76

13 China 75

14 Southeast Asia 74

15 Japan 65

16 Eurafrica (female team) 43

16 India 43

18 Ausamerica (female team) 40

Find all information about the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy
2018 Central Asia at the dedicated website www.gstrophy.com.
Find press material on BMW motorcycle, Original BMW Motorrad
accessories and BMW Motorrad rider equipment in the BMW Group
PressClub at www.press.bmwgroup.com.

The BMW Group With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW
Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of
automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and
mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 30
production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a
global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2017, the BMW
Group sold over 2,463,500 passenger vehicles and more than 164,000
motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year
2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion.
As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932
employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on
long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore
established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value
chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. www.bmwgroup.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview
Google+: http://googleplus.bmwgroup.com