As the Atlantic breeze faded into the distance, the riders knew they were leaving behind the ocean and entering the final, toughest stretch of their journey. Though the end of the GS Trophy was still a day away, the ride ahead marked a turning point - an intense test of endurance, with the finish line finally in sight. The vast, open landscapes of Namibia had become familiar, but today, the riders would push deeper, leaving behind the cool air of the coast for the harsh heat of the interior. With every mile eastward, they edged closer to the culmination of an epic adventure that had tested their limits and brought them together as a team.
The day began in the soft light of dawn, with the sky overcast from the lingering humidity of the Atlantic. Riders gathered for a 7:45 a.m. start, after a hearty breakfast by the ocean. Some wandered down to the shoreline, eager to feel the cool, wet embrace of the sea one last time. A few brave - or perhaps crazy - souls even ventured in for a morning swim, relishing the moment. For some, this was their first encounter with the Atlantic, or any ocean at all.
The beach sand clung to them like a final farewell, a souvenir for their journey back to the desert. The dust that had followed them throughout the adventure now mingled with the sand, a reminder of both the places they had been and the road still ahead. Engines roared to life, cutting through the morning mist as the convoy prepared to leave Swakopmund.
The day began in the soft light of dawn, with the sky overcast from the lingering humidity of the Atlantic. Riders gathered for a 7:45 a.m. start, after a hearty breakfast by the ocean. Some wandered down to the shoreline, eager to feel the cool, wet embrace of the sea one last time. A few brave - or perhaps crazy - souls even ventured in for a morning swim, relishing the moment. For some, this was their first encounter with the Atlantic, or any ocean at all.
The beach sand clung to them like a final farewell, a souvenir for their journey back to the desert. The dust that had followed them throughout the adventure now mingled with the sand, a reminder of both the places they had been and the road still ahead. Engines roared to life, cutting through the morning mist as the convoy prepared to leave Swakopmund.
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00Good morning, it's day five.
00:12We'll be leaving here at the coast from sea level at 10
00:15degrees Celsius, riding through the desert and up
00:18into the mountains, where it's expected to be 30
00:21degrees Celsius.
00:22Today is going to be the longest day of the GS Trophy,
00:24with the competitors having to ride 430 kilometers, most of
00:28it being off road.
00:29And they still have two special stages to do before
00:31arriving back at base camp in Midgard.
00:59As reliable as modern motorcycles are, every now and
01:22then a situation as simple as a low battery might mean you
01:24need to push start your bike.
01:26This is the Liette Push Start Challenge, and it's going to
01:28test the competitor's ability to do just that.
01:31This is a timed event.
01:32The first team member starts on a motorcycle with the
01:34engine off, and the start button's been covered, so
01:36they can't press it.
01:37The other team members push the rider around the corner,
01:40through the gate, and down the hill.
01:42The rider then pops it into gear, and hopefully, the
01:45engine starts.
01:46Time stops when the engine's running, and the bike is
01:49stopped safely.
01:58After a scenic 420 kilometer ride, the teams have arrived
02:26at the second special stage, the Midgard Slow Trial.
02:31For this trial, each competitor needs to
02:33individually navigate this narrow course while being
02:36timed, and time stops if they dab a foot, if they cross a
02:39border, if they drop a bike.
02:40Like old school trials, time also stops if
02:42the bike stops moving.
02:44The winner is the team with the longest combined time, in
02:46other words, the slowest riders.
02:57Day five of the GS Trophy has concluded, and as you can see,
03:01the bikes have already gone to bed.
03:02The competitors are shortly going to be going to bed.
03:04Today was the longest day of the trophy, and tomorrow will
03:07be the shortest day of the trophy, and the final.
03:10Team South Africa, multi-time champions, started off strong.
03:13However, Team Germany quickly rose to the top spot.
03:16Yes, but Team South Africa is behind by only five points.
03:20For the female, it's a close call.
03:22But Team South Africa is behind by only five points.
03:26For the female teams, we have Team Germany just four points
03:29behind Team France.
03:31It's a tight competition.
03:33Let's go check out the results.
03:37So the total score now, female riders leading for the day,
03:41Team France.
03:47Now we go to the male riders, still in the lead, Team Germany.