2024 年 9 月 18 日
第 4 天回顾。地点：纳米比亚斯瓦科普蒙德天气：晴天，12°C – 32°C 路线：224 公里：Spitzkoppe – Kleine Spitzkoppe – Khan River – 斯瓦科普蒙德地形类型：柏油路面 24 公里，越野 200 公里测试：SP1：ADVANTEC Pull Challenge，SP2：Rooi Tafel Trial 男子前三名队伍：1. 德国，2. 南非，3. 国际队女子前三名队伍：1. 法国，2. 德国，3. 日本
斯瓦科普蒙德。 大海像海市蜃楼一样在地平线上升起。来自大西洋的冷风带着咸味，吹走了沙丘上的尘土，在酷热难耐之后，这真是令人欣慰的解脱。在这里，纳米布沙漠的广阔与无边无际的海洋交汇，我们仿佛来到了一个新世界——在这里，沙滩和大海完美地共舞，沙漠向海岸的深蓝色投去敬意。
骑手们醒来时，早晨的天气很温和，但这种宁静很快就消失了。当他们准备离开营地时，新的一天既充满冒险，也充满挑战。
出发后不久，他们就沿着这条路线绕行了小尖峰山，这是标志性尖峰山地形较小的一个，景色崎岖而美丽。现在，骑手们已经熟悉了纳米比亚不断变化的地貌。如果要用一个词来形容这里的地形，那就是“不可预测”——在这片土地上，每一次转弯都带来新的挑战。
绕过小峰的边缘，穿过国家公园广阔的土地后，骑手们到达了当天第一个特殊挑战的场地。热身运动结束了，真正的考验即将开始。
第 4 天，特别挑战 1： ADVANTEC 拉力挑战赛。这项挑战赛模拟了每位骑手的噩梦——一辆没油的摩托车，增加了一层艰难的复杂性。任务看似很简单：跑 50 米，但这 50 米被深厚、无情的沙子埋住了。
比赛开始时，三名骑手排成一排。第一位骑手迅速出发，穿过沙地，向终点线冲去。但当他们冲到前面时，第二位骑手的真正挑战才刚刚开始。第二位骑手在与第一名骑手扬起的尘土和沙子搏斗的同时，还必须将牵引绳系在第三辆摩托车上，并将其穿过沙地拉到终点。
当第二名骑手努力保持牵引力并拉着被拖曳的摩托车向前时，第一位骑手已经到达终点，抓起汽油罐模拟为第三辆摩托车加油。这是对协调性、力量和策略的考验——由于沙地条件和第一位骑手离开后留下的无情尘云，比赛变得更加困难。
中东队车手 塔赫尔·阿尔泰德（243）表示：“非常棒的特殊挑战。我们必须相互协调，确保每个人都知道该做什么。计划很简单。我会骑着摩托车去加油站，而我的队友会拖着坏掉的摩托车。很简单！”
骑手们绕着 Kleine Spitzkoppe 骑行了一圈，这条小道上什么都有。大部分是硬土路、松散的碎石路和岩石地形，让他们保持专注，而几条干涸的小溪和沙床则增加了足够的不可预测性，让每个人都保持警惕。
当他们向西前进时，道路穿过小社区，当地居民站在他们手工制作的路边摊位旁，向过往的骑手挥手致意。摩托车和支援车辆组成的车队让当地的孩子大开眼界，兴奋不已。谁知道他们脑子里在想什么——也许他们中的一个人梦想着成为未来的 GS 骑手，穿越遥远的土地，参加像 GS Trophy 一样盛大的赛事。
从第一个特别挑战到午休地点的路程很容易驾驭，即使是最没有经验的骑手也能驾驭。到现在为止，每个人都找到了自己的节奏，自信地应对沙地和松散的砾石。即使是陡峭的岩石上坡也不再像以前那样具有挑战性。在途中，骑手们穿过一个废弃的大理石矿，大块的大理石散落在地上——让人想起一个早已消逝的曾经繁荣的地区。
午休时间虽然短暂，但非常必要，骑手们准备进入可汗河峡谷，这是一段长达 80 公里的崎岖地形，将考验他们的技术和耐力。深入峡谷中心后，他们发现自己被高耸的岩壁包围，岩壁两侧陡峭耸立，锯齿状的边缘在小径上投下长长的阴影。这是一片超现实的景观——雄伟而无情——预示着他们今天第二个也是最后一个特殊挑战即将到来。
蜿蜒在岩石之间的道路变得越来越窄，迫使骑手们小心翼翼地穿越狭窄的通道。有时，高耸的悬崖似乎在逼近他们，道路就像是一条细线，经过了亿万年的侵蚀才形成。光滑的峡谷底部让位于粗糙的松散砾石，两侧散落着大块巨石，提醒他们大自然创造和毁灭的力量。
峡谷每拐一个弯，就会出现一个新的奇观——巨大的岩层看起来像是手工雕刻的，在光线的变化下，它们的颜色从深红色变为浅棕色。骑车穿过这些高耸的岩壁，感觉好像地球本身裂开了，为它们创造了一条天然通道。
在某些地方，赛道会突然变宽变窄，要求骑手在穿越崎岖地形时小心保持精准度和速度之间的平衡。高耸的岩石和蜿蜒的小路让人感觉仿佛穿越了一座由时间雕刻而成的迷宫，每个弯道都能欣赏到峡谷壮丽景观的全新、令人惊叹的景色。
路面不断变化——从坚硬的泥土到松散的岩石再到深沙——让每个人都集中注意力，而摩托车在峡谷壁上回荡的回声更增添了孤独和冒险的感觉。
随着峡谷终于开阔起来，骑手们知道他们刚刚结束了一天中最激动人心、最具挑战性的一段路程——纳米比亚原始的地形之美在他们和他们的摩托车上留下了印记。但他们几乎没有时间休息；在峡谷的出口，第二个特殊的挑战正在等待他们，准备再次考验他们的耐力。
第 4 天，特别挑战 2：Rooi Tafel 试骑。Rooi Tafel 试骑以高耸的岩层为背景，这真是一个超现实的比赛，它要求选手既要精准，又要有毅力。三名选手从起跑区出发，一号选手在计时开始时出发。赛道是一个艰难的试骑路段，有急转弯、深沙和具有挑战性的攀岩。到达终点线后，一号选手会举手示意二号选手开始，然后是三号选手。如果选手触地、越界或摔倒摩托车，都会扣分。选手必须快速但小心地骑行，三名选手都需要在 5 分钟内完成比赛。
国际男子队车手 马丁·乌尔赖希 (252)表示：“这个赛段非常小，非常紧凑。你必须骑得很慢、很小心，而且由于技术性太强，我们无法不把脚放低就完成比赛。我们没有摔倒摩托车，所以我们希望我们的成绩不错。”
在肾上腺素激增和激烈竞争中，有一个温暖人心的时刻真正体现了 GS 精神。印度队的骑手和他们的 MRP 停下来，真诚地拥抱在一起。感谢有难得的机会在纳米比亚一起参加 GS 杯赛，这让人感动地想起了这项赛事的意义——友情、团队合作以及通过共同冒险形成的纽带。这是 GS 团队精神的真实体现，表明除了挑战之外，在这里一起的经历才是最重要的。
当骑手们走出峡谷时，地貌再次发生变化。岩石变得更加锋利和清晰，仿佛经过时间的磨砺，屹立不倒，散发着古老而不可触碰的智慧——仿佛这里就是非洲的发源地。向西的旅程不仅带来了风景的变化，也带来了空气的变化。随着寒冷的海风吹来，气温迅速下降，与他们整天忍受的沙漠酷热形成了鲜明的对比。
当他们终于进入斯瓦科普蒙德时，感觉就像踏入了一个不同的世界。荒凉的沙漠让位于沿海城镇热闹的旅游氛围。新房子排列在海滨，市场熙熙攘攘，街道上人头攒动。他们仿佛已经离开纳米比亚，进入了一个全新的国家。
一天的比赛在海边晚餐后结束，海浪声为晚间的庆祝活动增添了舒缓的背景。当当天的成绩公布时，骑手们欢声笑语、情谊深厚地庆祝，同时为第二天的挑战做准备——这是 GS Trophy 比赛最长的一天，即第 5 天。
引号：
拉丁美洲队骑手托马斯·哈里森 (122)： “这一天真是太壮观了。峡谷真是太棒了。和我们昨天的峡谷很像，但这个峡谷非常狭窄，岩石很漂亮，真是一次很棒的体验。我们骑在非常高的岩层和许多树木中间，如果你认为我们在沙漠中，这是很少见的。我们和英国队一起骑行，我们真的很亲密。这是一次非常美妙的骑行。”
2024 年宝马摩托车国际 GS 杯赛，纳米比亚。
第四天总排名：
男子队：
1.德国，155分
2.南非，150
3. 国际团队，101
4.巴西，98
5.法国，95
6. 比荷卢三国, 93
7. 意大利，89
8.拉丁美洲，87
9.韩国，85
10. 印度，82
11. 英国，81
11. 中国，81
13. 墨西哥，78
14. 中东、非洲，63
14. 日本，63
16.美国，49
女子队：
1.法国，172
2.德国，168
3.日本，167
4. 国际团队，166
5.韩国，160
宝马集团
宝马集团旗下拥有宝马、MINI、劳斯莱斯和宝马摩托车四个品牌，是全球领先的豪华汽车和摩托车制造商，同时还提供高端金融和移动出行服务。宝马集团生产网络覆盖全球 30 多个生产基地，公司在全球 140 多个国家/地区拥有销售网络。
2023 年，宝马集团在全球销售了超过 255 万辆乘用车和超过 209,000 辆摩托车。2023 财年的税前利润为 171 亿欧元，营收为 1555 亿欧元。截至 2023 年 12 月 31 日，宝马集团拥有 154,950 名员工。
宝马集团的成功始终建立在长远思考和负责任的行动之上。公司很早就确定了未来的发展方向，并始终将可持续性和高效的资源管理作为其战略方向的核心，从供应链到生产，再到所有产品的使用阶段结束。
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BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2024 Namibia. Day 4. From the desert to the deep blue.
18.09.2024
Recap of Day 4. Location: Swakopmund, Namibia Weather: Sunny, 12°C – 32°C Course: 224km: Spitzkoppe – Kleine Spitzkoppe – Khan River – Swakopmund Terrain types: Tarmac 24km, off-road 200km Tests: SP1: ADVANTEC Pull Challenge, SP2: Rooi Tafel Trial Top three teams male: 1. Germany, 2. South Africa, 3. International Team Top three teams female: 1. France, 2. Germany, 3. Japan
Swakopmund. The ocean rose like a mirage on the horizon. The cold, salty breeze from the Atlantic washed away the dust of the dunes, a welcome reprieve after the unforgiving heat. Here, where the vastness of the Namib Desert meets the endless stretch of ocean, it felt as though we had arrived in a new world—one where sand and sea dance together in perfect contrast, a place where the desert surrenders to the deep blues of the coast.
The riders awoke to a mild morning, but the tranquility wouldn’t last. The day ahead promised both adventure and challenges as they prepared to leave camp.
Shortly after setting off, the route guided them around the rugged beauty of Kleine Spitzkoppe, the smaller sibling of the iconic Spitzkoppe formation. By now, the riders had become familiar with Namibia’s ever-changing landscape. If there were one word to describe the terrain, it would be “unpredictable” — a land where every twist and turn offered a new challenge.
After skirting the edges of Kleine Spitzkoppe, through the sweeping expanse of the national park, the riders arrived at the site of their first special challenge of the day. The warm-up was over, and the real test was about to begin.
Day 4, Special Challenge 1: The ADVANTEC Pull Challenge. Emulating every rider’s nightmare—a motorcycle that has run out of gas—this challenge added a tough layer of complexity. The task seemed simple enough: cover 50 meters, but those 50 meters were buried under deep, unforgiving sand.
At the start, the three riders lined up. The first rider set off quickly, racing through the sand towards the finish line. But as they tore ahead, the real challenge began for the second rider. While battling through the cloud of dust and sand kicked up by the first, the second rider had to attach a towing rope to the third motorcycle and pull it through the sand to the finish.
As the second rider fought to maintain traction and pull the towed bike forward, the first rider had already arrived at the finish, grabbing a gas can to simulate refueling the third bike. It was a test of coordination, strength, and strategy—made all the more difficult by the sandy conditions and the relentless dust cloud left behind by the first rider’s departure.
Rider Taher Altayed (243) of Team Middle East, said: “Super nice special challenge. We had to coordinate with each other and make sure that everybody knew what to do. The plan was very simple. I would ride my bike to the gas can while my teammates would tow the disabled bike. Easy!”
The riders completed the loop around Kleine Spitzkoppe, a trail that offered a bit of everything. The mostly hardpacked dirt, loose gravel, and rocky terrain kept them focused, while the few dried creek crossings with their sandy beds added just enough unpredictability to keep everyone on their toes.
As they pushed westward, the road led through small communities, where local residents stood by their handmade roadside stands, waving at the passing riders. The sight of the convoy of motorcycles and support vehicles was a spectacle for the local children, their eyes wide with excitement. Who knows what thoughts ran through their minds—maybe one of them dreamed of becoming a future GS rider, traversing distant lands and taking part in something as grand as the GS Trophy.
The road from the first special challenge to the lunch break location was manageable, even for the least experienced riders. By now, everyone had found their rhythm, tackling the sand and loose gravel with confidence. Even the steep, rocky uphills didn’t pose the challenge they once did. On their way, the riders passed through an abandoned marble mine, with massive marble blocks scattered across the landscape—a reminder of a once-thriving area that had long since faded away.
After a quick but much-needed lunch break, the riders prepared to enter the Khan River Canyon, for a rugged 80-kilometer stretch of terrain that would test their skills and endurance. Plunging into the heart of the canyon, they found themselves surrounded by towering rock walls that rose sharply on either side, their jagged edges casting long shadows across the trail. It was a surreal landscape—majestic, yet unforgiving—signaling the approach of their second and final special challenge of the day.
The path narrowed as it snaked between the rock formations, forcing the riders to navigate the tight passes carefully. At times, the towering cliffs seemed to close in on them, and the road was a thin thread carved through eons of erosion. The smooth canyon floor gave way to rough patches of loose gravel, with large boulders strewn along the sides, reminding them of nature’s power to both create and destroy.
With every twist and turn, the canyon revealed a new wonder—massive rock formations that looked as though they had been sculpted by hand, their colors shifting from deep reds to light browns under the changing light. Riding through these towering rock faces, it felt as if the earth itself had split open, creating a natural passageway just for them.
At certain points, the track widened and narrowed unpredictably, requiring the riders to maintain a careful balance of precision and speed as they navigated through the rugged terrain. The towering rocks and winding paths gave the feeling of riding through a labyrinth carved by time, with each bend offering a new, breathtaking view of the canyon’s dramatic landscape.
The constant shifting of the road surface—from hard-packed dirt to loose rocks to deep sand—kept everyone focused, and the echo of the motorcycles reverberating off the canyon walls only added to the sense of isolation and adventure.
As the canyon finally opened up, the riders knew they were emerging from one of the most dramatic and challenging stretches of the day—a place where the raw beauty of Namibia’s terrain had left its mark on both them and their bikes. But there was little time to rest; at the canyon’s exit, the second special challenge awaited, ready to test their endurance once again.
Day 4, Special Challenge 2: Rooi Tafel Trial. Set against the surreal backdrop of towering rock formations, the Rooi Tafel Trial demanded both precision and grit. The three riders began in the start box, with rider one setting off as the clock started. The course was a tough trial section featuring sharp turns, deep sand, and challenging rock climbs. Upon reaching the finish line, rider one would raise their hand, signaling for rider two to start, followed by rider three. Points were deducted for dabs, going out of bounds, or dropping the bike. The riders had to work quickly but carefully, with all three needing to complete the course within a 5-minute limit.
Rider Martin Ulreich (252) of the International Male Team, said: “This section was very small and very tight. You must ride very slowly and carefully, and because it was so technical, we couldn’t do it without putting our feet down. We didn’t drop a bike, so we hope our time was good.”
Among the adrenaline and tough competition, there was a heartwarming moment that truly captured the GS spirit. The riders from Team India, along with their MRP, took a pause to embrace one another in a heartfelt group hug. Grateful for the rare opportunity to be together in Namibia, competing in the GS Trophy, it was a touching reminder of what this event is all about—camaraderie, teamwork, and the bonds that form through shared adventure. It was a genuine demonstration of the GS team spirit, showing that beyond the challenges, the experience of being here together meant everything.
As the riders emerged from the canyon, the landscape shifted once again. The rocks became sharper and more defined, as if hardened by time, standing tall with a wisdom that seemed ancient and untouchable—as if this was the birthplace of Africa. The journey westward brought not only a change in scenery but a change in the air. The temperature dropped quickly as the cold ocean breeze swept in, a refreshing contrast to the desert heat they had endured all day.
When they finally entered Swakopmund, it felt like stepping into a different world. The stark desert gave way to the lively, touristic atmosphere of the coastal town. New houses lined the oceanfront, markets bustled with energy, and the streets buzzed with life. It was as though they had left Namibia behind and crossed into a completely new country.
The day came to a close with dinner by the ocean, the sound of the waves a soothing backdrop to the evening’s festivities. As the scores for the day were announced, the riders celebrated with laughter and camaraderie, all while preparing for the challenges of the next day—the longest of the GS Trophy, Day 5.
Quotes:
Rider Tomas Harrison (122), Team Latin America: “The day was spectacular. The canyon was such a treat. Similar to what we did yesterday, but this one was very narrow, beautiful rocks, such a great experience. We were riding in the middle of very tall rock formations, and a lot of trees, which was rare if you think we’re in the desert. We were riding with team UK and we really bonded. It was such a beautiful ride.”
BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2024, Namibia.
Day Four overall standings:
Male Teams:
1. Germany, 155 points
2. South Africa, 150
3. International Team, 101
4. Brazil, 98
5. France, 95
6. Benelux, 93
7. Italy, 89
8. Latin America, 87
9. South Korea, 85
10. India, 82
11. UK, 81
11. China, 81
13. Mexico, 78
14. Middle East, Africa, 63
14. Japan, 63
16. USA, 49
Female Teams:
1. France, 172
2. Germany, 168
3. Japan, 167
4. International Team, 166
5. South Korea, 160
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 over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.
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