The BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2020 Oceania competition kicked off in New Zealand. The event takes place from February 9th through February 16th.

The GS Trophy 2020 event pits 21 national teams and two international female teams against each other in a rally style competition that includes a series of special stages.

Unlike a traditional rally which emphasizes speed, the special stages of the GS Trophy generally emphasize technical skills and teamwork.

How it Works

• BMW GS Trophy Qualifying Events take place around the world on odd-numbered years (2015, 2017, 2019…)
• These national qualifiers determine the teams that will go on to the International GS Trophy the following year.
• Have a GS and $350? You can enter the qualifier too. HERE is the info from a previous qualifier at RawHyde in California.
• Each participating country (or region in some cases) puts forth a team of three riders for the international competition.
• In addition to the national teams, there are two international female teams.
• These national teams come together on even years to compete in the International GS Trophy competition.
• Information on the 2020 teams can be found HERE

Some of the qualifying challenges poke fun at BMW stereotypes, such as the Starbucks Challenge at the 2017 GS Trophy Qualifier West:

The Starbucks Challenge (Source: BMW Motorrad USA)

Play the video below to watch competitors run the Starbucks gauntlet:

Competition Locations

Previous GS Trophy competitions have taken place in Tunisia, South Africa, Patagonia, Canada, Thailand and Mongolia.

Traditionally the iconic R1200GS is used for the GS Trophy; this year the new 2020 F850GS will be used by all competitors.

The 2018 International GS Trophy, held in Mongolia, resulted in the following top 10 teams:

1st Place:     South Africa – 338 points
2nd Place:    USA – 286 points
3rd Place:    France – 284 points
4th Place:    Latin America – 246 points
5th Place:    Mexico – 236 points
6th Place:    Korea – 221 points
7th Place:    United Kingdom – 196 points
8th Place:    Germany – 193 points
9th Place:    Russia – 171 points
10th Place:  Australia – 170 points

The lush green islands of New Zealand are quite the contrast to the vast open terrain of last year’s GS Trophy competition that was held in Mongolia. It will be interesting to see if the change in terrain has a clear influence on the finishing order.

Here is a good intro video about the GS Trophy Marshals:

Day 1 Highlights are in this video:

To prevent any spoilers, the daily results will only be shown in the embedded videos.

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