On the shores of the Adriatic Sea , close to the town of Kavaje in the west of Albania twenty-one international teams converged for the eighth BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy .
Twenty-one teams , 15 three-person male teams , 6 twoperson female teams , all riding BMW ’ s R1250 GS , this is a seven-day competition covering 1230 kilometres in what is regarded as one of Europe ’ s most untouched off-road wildernesses . This years BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy is one of the shortest yet regarded as one of the toughest .
“ 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 ’,” explained Director of the International GS Trophy and Head of Marketing and Product Management at BMW Motorrad , Ralf Rodepeter . “ 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 .”
The 2022 edition of the GS Trophy started in spectacular fashion , starting from the base near Kavaje the riders made their way inland , across a coastal plain into challenging riding in the mountains , finishing at the UNESCO World Heritage site that is Berat Castle .
Setting off at five-minute intervals , pairs of teams found their first ‘ special test ’ which saw team Mexico set the standard through the riding of Michael Littlewood .
Riders then ventured further inland , a mix of road and trail that led to a traditional culture of subsistence farming , unmechanised and laborious , horses and
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