BMW GS Trophy – Day 1

GS Trophy Day 1

The level of excitement among riders at the start of the GS Trophy was stratospheric despite a change in the original route due to unseasonal rainfall overnight that forced organizers to bypass the most difficult part of the route.

Marshals had ridden the route the previous day to check conditions, and the steep climb that gave journalists trouble during the media training was impassable.

Today’s route took us from Chiang Dao to Pai along some winding concrete and dirt roads, and more paved roads than initially planned due to the route bypass. Fortunately the previous night’s rain dampened the dirt roads, reducing the dust to nil.

The riding was spectacular, with breathtaking scenery through the dense rainforests. Although all riders anticipated more riding off road, the road portion was nonetheless spectacular, with endless series of switchbacks on pristine pavement.

Participants performed two timed challenges today. The first one was a difficult physical challenge where riders had to pushed two motorcycles across a portion of a broken concrete bridge, carrying the bikes across large concrete obstacles and over the edge of the broken bridge. The other was a slow race where the accumulative time of the three team members determined the ranking.

It seems that we’ve seen the last of the rain, so we’ll be back to the original course tomorrow. Internet accessibility is very limited, and inconsistent when it is available, so we’ll try to keep you up to date daily.