BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022 Zuidoost-Europa.

Kavaje, Albania . Here on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, near the town of Kavaje in the western lowlands of Albania, the teams have all arrived, the bikes are waiting, tents have been pitched, riding kit unpacked and everyone is ready for the start of the eighth
BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy.

 

The riders have been working through the event registration, medical checks, fitting of their BMW communications systems to their helmets and not least taking possession of their brand-new
BMW R 1250 GS motorcycles and making personal adjustments. After all the ‘work’, an evening welcoming party has brought all the competitors together as they contemplate the start of the competition – and the 6am call to breakfast! 

 

This year there are 21 international teams, 15 of which are three-man male teams and 6 are two-man female teams – an all-new format for the International GS Trophy.

 

Climb every mountain.

What lies ahead is seven days and 1230km of adventure riding as the GS riders ride from the sandy beaches to the highest mountains in this largely untouched off-road paradise in the southeast of Europe. That the route is one of the shortest yet is indicative of just how technical the riding will be, the riders can expect extremely narrow winding roads and a high percentage of off-road as they cross the country and encounter the mountains of the Dinaric Alps and the Pindus range. It’s a region that has maintained its wilderness, allowing the likes of wolves and bears to roam freely.

 

Overall director of the Int. GS Trophy, Ralf Rodepeter, Head of marketing and product management at BMW Motorrad, is delighted with the venue and format of this year’s competition:

“After Tunisia, South Africa, Patagonia, Canada, Thailand, Mongolia and most recently New Zealand, BMW Motorrad was once again on the lookout for a location that offered the perfect ‘GS terrain’. Lots of legal off-road kilometres are required, with demanding route profiles and plenty of unknowns. Albania offers the ideal conditions.

“Varied landscapes with high mountains, plateaus, deep forests, beaches along the Adriatic coast, fantastic riverbeds to cross and deep mountain lakes provide the ideal backdrop for what we believe to be one of the most exciting GS Trophies ever stages.”

 

Meet the teams.

It’s time to meet the GS riders. Below is a full list of the participants, with a little comment from each about their lives as GS riders and the excitement of attending the most prestigious GS event in the world:

 

Team Brazil

No. 101

Rider: Giovane Lorentino

Age: 44

Hometown: Joinville, Santa Catarina

Occupation: Entrepreneur

Quote: “I ride for the pleasure, the fun, the freedom, and my GS gives me the confidence to explore. It’s an inspiration for life. On my GS I find freedom riding at the weekends making off-road trips, but I have also enjoyed a longer trip to Chile. I love it. For me the GS means adventure, freedom and emotion.”

 

No. 102

Rider: Thiago Cruz

Age: 33

Hometown: Sao Roque, Sao Paulo

Occupation: Lawyer

Quote: “My father was my inspiration; he always rode a motorcycle and I said to myself, ‘one day I will do this’. So now I have an
F 800 GS at home and I’ve been training and learning so much to qualify for this amazing ride. Being here is the ultimate expression of that feeling I had as a boy. I love the versatility of the GS, allowing us to explore any place, any terrain.”

 

No. 103

Rider: Franco Bruzzone

Age: 42

Hometown: Lages, Santa Catarina

Occupation: Entrepreneur

Quote: “Without a doubt it was the GS Trophy that hooked me. A friend participated in an earlier edition, and I was crazy about the competition so I went to the next one and had the opportunity to
ride the R 1200 GS there – and I decided to join the family and not change more!”

 

Team China 2020 

No: 111

Rider: Chaoxian Peng

Age: 35

Hometown: Xishuangbanna, Jinghong City, Yunnan Province

Occupation: Owner of a motorcycle traveling club

Quote: “It’s good to be here, and for us this is different to the other teams because we missed the 2020 event, due to the pandemic, so we have been together for a long time – not two, but four years of training!”

 

No: 112

Rider: Xiaogui Wang

Age: 34

Hometown: Yuxi City, Yunnan Province

Occupation: Food brand founder of Wonderful

Quote: “I’m very happy to be here after all these years. It will be a different GS Trophy to the one we would have ridden in New Zealand. That one looked very beautiful, but this one looks like it’ll be very technical, very testing with all the rocks – a real challenge, but we’ve trained for four years so we feel prepared.”

 

No: 113

Rider: Zhifeng (Chi Fung) Lai

Age: 32

Hometown: Hongkong

Occupation: Freelancer

Quote: “We can’t wait for this to start. We are back, at the GS Trophy! To have missed the 2020 edition was a hard feeling, but we are back and really looking forward to the experience, we are ready to enjoy it and it’s wonderful to be here among the GS Trophy community at last.”

 

Team China 2022

No: 121

Rider: Xinlin Li

Age: 37

Hometown: Kunming, Yunnan Province

Occupation: Repairing motorcycles

Quote: “I enjoy riding my motorcycle for travel, but I like the GS Trophy too, it has fascinated me for years!”

 

No: 122

Rider: YuJun Wu

Age: 45

Hometown: GuangZhou, GouangDong

Occupation: Engineer

Quote: “I learned about BMW motorcycles through the internet! Then I took part in the training in GS Adventure Park in Nanjing. I think we are well prepared for the challenges ahead.”

 

No: 123

Rider: Jun Yang

Age: 40

Hometown: Nan Ning

Occupation: Salesman

Quote: “I ride motorcycles because it’s the best way to see the world. My instructor was the GS champion of 2020 and I want to be a champion like him.”

 

Team France

No: 131

Rider: Cyril Forget

Age: 45

Hometown: Fromelennes

Occupation: Works at Electricité de France

Quote: “My first BMW was an R 1100 S with which I crossed France and Corsica. Then I tried an R 1200 GS and it was the revelation: easy, comfortable, versatile, good performance... My first GS was a 2004 and it was with that I participated in my first GS Trophy qualifier in 2013, the first time I was also riding off-road. Since then I have participated in all the GS Trophy French qualifiers.”

 

No: 132

Rider: Victor Sauge

Age: 24

Hometown: Porto Vecchio, Corse

Occupation: Captain in the navy, and volunteer firefighter

Quote: “I remember in 2007 seeing an R 1200 GS and I said to myself ‘some day I will have this bike’. I was always attracted by the design and so from when I first got my driver’s license I started looking into the GS range. Today, I'm on to my third GS – and certainly not my last.”

 

No: 133

Rider: Pascal Peter

Age: 54

Hometown: Krautwiller

Occupation: Technical maintenance manager

Quote: “I have always looked for a versatile motorcycle that can take me on all terrains, powerful and reliable, with excellent handling. I found all these qualities with the BMW R 1200 GS that I bought in 2006. I still have it and it often takes me on trips on all terrains.”

 

Team Germany

No: 141

Rider: Enrique Alvarez Urrutia

Age: 32

Hometown: Brunswick

Occupation: Development test engineer for a car manufacturer

Quote: “In my opinion the GS is the ultimate travel machine, you just have to grab your stuff and strap it to your bike, and then you are facing a world of exploring in which you are the only one defining the limits.”

 

No: 142

Rider: Tim Schlage

Age: 26

Hometown: Limburg an der Lahn

Occupation: Real estate manager

Quote: “My first experience with BMW Motorrad was on the racetrack. I rode the S 1000 RR there and was extremely impressed. After 1.5 years of racing, I switched to an F 800 GS ADV. With it I explored many parts of Europe on-road and, of course, off-road. I heard about the GS Trophy for the first time back in 2017 – but after the qualifier! So, I bought an old R 1200 GS to take part in the next qualifier. I love it because anything is possible with it!”

 

No: 143

Rider: Patrick Mayr

Age: 32

Hometown: Buchdorf

Occupation: Vehicle mechanic

Quote: “My first BMW was an F 650 enduro. I was impressed by the all-round suitability and the indestructibility of this machine. A few years later I came to the F 800 GS and then I got to know the ‘Spirit of GS’. After many kilometres with that the longing for an R 1200 GS became ever greater and thus I fulfilled this dream. To be here and to share this passion with others and to experience the different moments that the GS Trophy brings, that is the ‘Spirit of GS’.”

 

Team India

No: 151

Rider: Rameez Mullick

Age: 31

Hometown: Kolkata

Occupation: Business owner, freight and logistics

Quote: “In 2019 I attended a GS Experience conducted by Shahnawaz Karim (BMW Motorrad off-road instructor and GS Trophy marshal) and he inspired me to ride the GS. I went to that GS Experience on a BMW road bike – not an adventure bike – and was allowed to ride the R 1250 GS and I was stunned to ride the motorcycle, and also very inspired to see Shahnawaz Karim do what

he does the best. So that was the start, I decided to go for the
R 1250 GS and finally I’m here!”

 

No: 152

Rider: Chowde Gowda

Age: 41

Hometown: Bangalore

Occupation: Real estate

Quote: “When a friend who is an avid GS rider suggested I should get one, I was intimidated by it. But when I visited Tusker Motorrad (BMW Motorrad Bangalore dealership) and test rode the GS Rallye,

I fell in love with the agility and balance of the bike and within a week I became a proud owner of one of the finest machines made by

man – and I have been loving every minute of it ever since.”

 

No: 153

Rider: Adib Javanmardi

Age: 30

Hometown: Panchgani

Occupation: Hotelier

Quote: “My older brother had a big influence on me and introduced me to motorbikes. I started riding a motorbike from the age of eight. Since we live in the mountains in the western region of India, every road seemed like a trail and an experience. The unmatched feeling of freedom is what inspired me from the moment I first sat on a bike, and that holds true even today.”

 

Team Japan

No: 161

Rider: Rihito Funahashi

Age: 44

Hometown: Yokohama

Occupation: Traffic education

Quote: “I took up motorcycling because I really wanted to ride through nature. Needless to say, the reason why I chose the GS is because the GS is the KING of all adventure motorcycles!”

 

No: 162

Rider: Shingo Yabuta

 

Age: 50

Hometown: Minoh City, Osaka Pref.

Occupation: Book seller

Quote: “Traveling all over Japan by motorcycle I needed a motorcycle that could handle dirt roads. I think the GS is the most suitable motorcycle for long and hard touring, definitely. So, I first bought an
R 1150 GS and now I ride an R 1250 GS.”

 

No: 163

Rider: Satoshi Nakazawa

Age: 54

Hometown: Hachioji City, Tokyo

Occupation: Accountant

Quote: “I still can't forget the excitement of riding the boxer engine for the first time. My goal is to ride a GS until the age of 80.”

 

Team Latin America

No: 171

Rider: Alejandro Barrios

Age: 42

Hometown: San Jose, Costa Rica

Occupation: IT Support

Quote: “I am here! This is amazing. In 2012 I qualified for the GS Trophy in South America, but I had an accident just three days before the event, so I could not ride. But BMW generously let me attend, so I was able to help in the event, if not ride. But now I am here again and this time I can ride! So, I get to do it again, and I’m sure it’ll be even better this time!”

 

No: 172

Rider: Roberto Aguerdas

Age: 39

Hometown: San Jose, Costa Rica

Occupation: Civil engineering

Quote: “This, being at the GS Trophy, is a unique feeling, the only time in my life this will happen. It’s special, it’s like being a child receiving a very special gift, only here I am sharing this experience with all these people, that makes it even more special. And it is great to be here with my teammates, we are from different places, but we feel the same and we’ve come together in our training, it’s great to be here with them as well.”

 

No: 173

Rider: Alejandro Mesa Hoyos

Age: 38

Hometown: Medellín, Colombia

Occupation: Motorcycle/car salesman

Quote: “In 2016 I heard about the GS Trophy qualifier in Colombia and since then I have tried to qualify. Two times I finished in fourth place – so close… And even this time I was fourth, so not a qualifier, but then the guy who won couldn’t come, so I’m here! This is like a dream to me.”

 

Team Mexico

No: 181

Rider: Michael Littlewood

Age: 35

Hometown: Mexico

Occupation: Banker

Quote: “BMW Mexico has given us GSs and had us training as a team every weekend for the year since we qualified, so we’ve made a good preparation. We are a good team, and we want to do a good job. Many people are starting with BMW now knowing about the participation in this event and that’s inspiring more and more people to ride a GS. I now have an R 1250 GS Rallye, it’s my best GS yet, I love the latest engine and suspension.”

 

No: 182

Rider: Mauricio Reynoso

Age: 20

Hometown: Mexico

Occupation: Administrator

Quote: “My brother and father both ride motorcycles, so I was always going to be into bikes. Then my brother qualified for the GS Trophy in 2016, in Thailand, and he had an amazing time, so I was inspired to follow him into this. But I do it because I love the BMW, too. I have an HP2 at home, its old school, but I love it for weekend riding and travel.”

 

No: 183

Rider: Sergio Larios Perez

Age: 31

Hometown: Ciudad de Mexico

Occupation: Architect

Quote: “This is an amazing experience to be here. It took me three times to qualify for the event, I’ve three times made the finals but not the final three, so it was a relief as well as a joy to finally make it! And now we have the week ahead, and it looks like it’ll be tough – but we have a good team, so I hope and believe we’ll make a very good result.”

 

Team South Africa 

No: 191

Rider: Gerrit du Toit

Age: 19

Hometown: Tzaneen, Limpopo

Occupation: Diesel pump technician trainee

Quote: “My father has been riding GSs for as long as I can remember, and when he took me out on his GS as a kid, that was when my love for the GS started. Later I started riding BMWs with a G 450 X and now I have an old air-cooled R 1200 GS Adventure – there’s just no other bike I enjoy as much. So, I couldn’t wait to finally participate in the GS Trophy.”

 

No: 192

Rider: Dalton de Bruin

Age: 23

Hometown: Bloemfontein

Occupation: Full-time student

Quote: “We qualified for this last year in September, since then it’s been a whole year in preparing. We have been up and down the country in training, we went to Lesotho one time, we’ve ridden in everything from snow to sand to be ready, and the training with Stefan Boshoff (who’s ridden and trained with many GS Trophy teams) has been fantastic. We are really looking forward to this.”

 

No: 193

Rider: Warren Venter

Age: 45

Hometown: Krugersdorp

Occupation: Manufacturer of aluminium windows and doors

Quote: “When I started riding my first GS in 2014 I was immediately exposed to the GS Trophy, and we – my wife and I, she also rides a GS – would go to the events to watch and marvel in the skill level of the participants with these amazing bikes. We kept going and going, until in 2019 we decided I should bite the bullet and enter the event. I put a lot of training in and did every course

you can think of, but I wasn’t successful, I didn’t make it into the team for New Zealand. But I didn’t give up; all in the spirit of the GS I kept going and going and so last year I qualified! It’s been an amazing journey. At home I have an R 1250 GSA, my wife also has a 1250. I use my bike every day for work, so I do 50-60,000km a year. I love it, in our house we absolutely live the brand!”

 

Team South Korea

No: 201

Rider: Byung Wook Lee

Age: 39

Hometown: Incheon

Occupation: Firefighter

Quote: “I got a little tired of riding an on-road motorcycle, then I had the chance to know the GS via my friend, to experience a motorcycle that can also ride on muddy roads. I was hooked! Then as soon as I got my GS I discovered the GS Trophy – what an inspiration! So I studied and prepared, switched my F 800 GS for an R 1200 GS and now I am here!”

 

No: 202

Rider: Da Min Park

Age: 24

Hometown: Suwon, Gyunggi-do

Occupation: Air traffic controller

Quote: “I learned how to ride a motorcycle through my dad, and I enjoyed riding motorcycles on dirty and muddy roads. Then I got into riding the GS and with that the GS Trophy. This has become my passion.”

 

No: 203

Rider: Junhyo Yeo

Age: 46

Hometown: Daegu

Occupation: Firefighter

Quote: “I rode a motorcycle first while I was in college, but I never had one for myself. Later I suffered from thyroid cancer and that was when I began riding the motorcycle again, to heal myself. I got interested in the GS through motocamping, and now I enjoy all kinds of camping: caravan camping, backpacking etc.”

 

Team Thailand

No: 211

 

Rider: Kriengsak Saensumron

Age: 38

Hometown: Khon Kaen

Occupation: Businessman

Quote: “A BMW GS has always been on the top of my wish list for a motorcycle from the beginning. With the GS I can go further distance with ease and comfort, and it also allows me to explore further into the off-road areas.”

 

No: 212

Rider: Likit Phonken

Age: 36

Hometown: Lamppang

Occupation: Self employed

Quote: “Through a friend, I had my first chance to test ride BMW GS. I fell in love immediately. I remember well that day that we went off the beaten track and the GS gave me the pleasure of riding - the feeling that I experienced for the first time and never before with my previous motorcycles.”

 

No: 213

Rider: Kittanat Khuntong

Age: 44

Hometown: Chiang Mai

Occupation: Owner of a motorcycle shop

Quote: “With my work involving motorcycles, the BMW GS has always been known as the ultimate riding machine for on- and off-roads. However, as BMW GS's price in Thailand is more expensive than a car, it took me years to decide to buy one. But I must say, it lives up to expectation every single ride.”

 

Team Netherlands

No: 221

Rider: Remy Zwemmer

Age: 26

Hometown: Zandvoort

Occupation: Project manager

Quote: “I rode in the GS Trophy qualifier in 2020, which I really liked. Afterwards, I started off-road riding with my GS and training seriously with another participant for the GS Trophy 2022 qualifier. My training buddy became a good friend, but he unfortunately ended up fourth, so I’m here for the both of us.”

 

No: 222

Rider: Michael Kersten

Age: 33

Hometown: Valkenswaard

Occupation: Motorcycle riding trainer and tour operator

Quote: “My father bought me my dream bike, a GS, it has always been the ultimate bike for me. I still dream every day of the bike I now ride every day. The GS makes my adventure lifestyle complete.”

 

No: 223

Rider: Willem Vermeulen

Age: 31

Hometown: Baarle Nassau

Occupation: Expedition truck builder and expedition organiser

Quote: “I was inspired by the Long Way Round. I have always been into traveling and adventure, and the GS is the perfect machine for both.”

 

Team United Kingdom

No: 231

Rider: Fred Adams

Age: 27

Hometown: Bristol

Occupation: Owner of a motorcycle workshop

Quote: “I did my apprenticeship at a BMW dealership, which introduced me to BMW Motorrad. My dad then bought a GS which
I rode, my brother followed suit and we both bought a GS. I soon realised how much better it is on public roads and off-road than my super bike!”

 

No: 232

Rider: Craig Searles

Age: 33

Hometown: Leominster

Occupation: Inspection engineer

Quote: “My father got me into BMW and the GS model at the same time. He attended a school at Off Road Skills, he highly recommended it! So, my brother and I booked onto the school at Off Road Skills and the rest is history.”

 

No: 233

Rider: Kyle Robertson

Age: 33

Hometown: Llanrwst, Wales

Occupation: Goods importer

Quote: “I had a go on my friend's R 1200 GSA about seven years ago, after that I was hooked on these awesome machines. To travel the world on one is the dream.”

 

Team USA

No: 241

Rider: Benjamin Phaup

Age: 32

Hometown: Amherst

Occupation: Electronics security technician

Quote: “I wanted to ride across the country by motorcycle, so I traded my car for my first dual sport. I quickly figured out the dual sport was the last thing I wanted to ride across the country, so I promptly sold it and bought a 2012 BMW F 650 GS twin. I had heard that BMW was ‘the bike’ for traveling so I started adventure riding, taking it on the Trans America Trail.  A few years and bikes later, a friend told me about the GS Trophy. It sounded so interesting that I had to give it a try. I bought a 2016 R 1200 GSA and started training for the 2022 International GS Trophy – and here I am!”

 

No: 242

Rider: Cory Call

Age: 50

Hometown: Sacramento

Occupation: Motorcycle sales

Quote: “My older brother rode motorcycles and gave me a minibike for Christmas. I've been hooked ever since. My brother now has a BMW R nineT Scrambler, while I bought a GS for my long daily commute to work. Only it turns out the GS is also great for so many other things!”

 

No: 243

Rider: James Duplease

Age: 43

Hometown: San Diego

Occupation: Roofing contractor

Quote: “As the adage goes, ‘don't ever ride someone else's motorcycle’. My friend convinced me to take his BMW R 1100 GS for a quick spin. I knew better

not to. Thankfully it’s one of the best things I ever did. My next GS will be the fifth I've owned.”  

 

Female Team France

No: 301

Rider: Océane Gomez

Age: 31

Hometown: Guadeloupe (French-Caribbean Island)

Occupation: Actress

Quote: “Three years ago, when I began to ride, it was for a side trip during a three-week holiday in South America. I rented a bike in Chile, and it was a GS. After this trip, I understood that for travel a BMW GS is the one. I bought my own bike specifically for the GS Trophy qualifier in 2019. I had some bad luck during the selections, but two years later I’ve qualified for the final – so that's a happy ending!”

 

No: 302

Rider: Karyn Julliard

Age: 63

Hometown: Rillieux La Pape

Occupation: University professor for neuroscience

Quote: “When I was a teenager, my older brother rode a BMW R90S, a bike that seemed totally inaccessible to me but one I admired and envied. Later, when I was 50 years old, I got my motorcycle license and I bought an F 650 GS twin, then an R 1200 R and finally the ultimate: an R 1200 GS. I bought it because I had seen a video at my BMW dealer, about a road trip he made in Australia with his own GS. I knew immediately that I wanted to cross the Australian desert on a GS. Then I bought my R80G/S with which I participated in two GS Trophy qualifiers, in 2015 and this year in 2021!”

 

Female Team Germany

No: 311

Rider: Doerte Andratschke

Age: 39

Hometown: Dietramszell

Occupation: Bank branch manager

Quote: “I started riding off-road in 2010 with my first training for a ride in Namibia. That was also the reason why I switched from my small bike to an F 800 GS. To travel. My dad and my husband were riding R 1200 GSs, so I decided to get my own BMW. And it is still my biggest pleasure to go to places

by bike, places that you would never visit by car and to be in touch with the people.”

 

No: 312

Rider: Lilla Gyarmati

Age: 30

Hometown: Frankfurt am Main

Occupation: Bank relationship manager

Quote: “I'm lucky to say that I had no choice – the passion for BMW Motorrad and GS is something that I grew up with. My dad and uncle both ride a GS and have been collecting and restoring old-timer BMW motorcycles ever since I remember. We used to be very active members of a BMW motorcycle club and went to the BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen several years in a row. Participating in the GS Trophy is a dream of mine coming true.”

 

Female Team Latin America

No: 321

Rider: Sara Sanchez Florez

Age: 27

Hometown: Colombia

Occupation: Social communicator and journalist

Quote: “I rode my first bike at the age of four – I learned to ride a motorcycle before a bicycle. As well, my grandmother was the first woman with a motorcycle driving permit in Colombia. Six years ago I had an accident and was told I could never ride a motorcycle again, but I started training for the GS Trophy a month and a half before the Colombian qualifier and here I am!”

 

No: 322

Rider: Teresita Rodriguez Rivas

Age: 39

Hometown: Costa Rica

Occupation: Software engineer

Quote: “I rode once as a passenger and was so scared that I preferred to learn to ride a motorcycle myself! I don’t like speed, that's why I like the off-road so much, because it's about going at your own pace, enjoying the views and the places but at the same time, it tests your bike skills, you need fine control to go through difficult terrain.”

 

Female Team Mexico

No: 331

Rider: Laura Perez del Campo / Valeria Zomazy

Age: 35

Hometown: Ciudad de Mexico

Occupation: Actress / stunt woman

Quote: “My boyfriend rides an enduro motorcycle, so I started riding an enduro myself four years ago. When I knew the GS Trophy 2020 was coming, I did the qualifier in 2019 in Mexico and then the female finals in Spain, but didn’t make the final selection. But I have now for 2022!”

 

No. 332

Rider: Esther Pinzon

Age: 29

Hometown: Ciudad de Mexico

Occupation: Tattoo artist

Quote: “I love extreme sports and I love travel. I found in the GS the perfect motorcycle for my height (156cm) to travel and ride off-road.” 

 

Female Team Brazil

No: 341

Rider: Tais Gotardo

Age: 25

Hometown: Sao Roque, Sao Paulo

Occupation: Restaurant manager

Quote: “I've been riding a motorcycle since I was seven years old, it's in the family so there's no denying the passion. I used to travel by motorcycle on the pillion and sometimes I rode the bikes of my ex-boyfriend, an F 800 GS and also an R 1200 GS. The day came when I decided to buy my own BMW – I'm in love, and I have plans to travel with her!”

 

No: 342

Rider: Daiane Gaia

Age: 38

Hometown: Sao Paulo

Occupation: Engineer

Quote: “My parents always took great trips on motorcycles. The GS is the bike that delivers the best. It is unsurpassed for anyone who wants to own a motorcycle for long trips and adventures in all types of terrain!”

 

Female Team South Africa

No: 351

 

Rider: Hanneli Zondagh

Age: 50

Hometown: Cape Town

Occupation: Dentist

Quote: “I got into bikes when my ex-boyfriend bought a 2010
R 1200 GSA.  That got me started and with the help of the Country TRAX off-road academy I’ve improved my riding, so I’m here at the International GS Trophy!”

 

No: 352

Rider: Christelle van der Meulen

Age: 47

Hometown: Pretoria

Occupation: Upholsterer

Quote: “At 42 my husband started riding motorcycles, perhaps a midlife crisis, and I realized he was having a lot of fun and so I decided to join him – and never looked back. A friend, Morag Campbell, suggested that I part take in the GS Trophy and my husband encouraged me to get onto his R 1200 GS and give it a try. It was a daunting idea, but he said: ‘You can’. I tried and here I am today... loving my GS, loving the adventure, and making life a ride!”

 

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