Breaking news, we’ve just learned that the US GS Trophy Team has won the inaugural BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy in Tunisia.

Since their selection from a field of six GS owners at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, S.C. on August 28, Hendry, Stoddard and Adams have each prepared for the upcoming international competition in their own unique way. 

Hendry, 25, manages a motorcycle dealership in Colorado and races extensively in on- and off-road competitions.  He holds an AMA professional racing license for road racing and supermoto, and he is a professional level motocross racer locally.    On Sunday, October 12, Hendry is poised to claim three roadracing championships and will celebrate both the end of a successful racing season as well as the promise of an international trophy on his racing resume. 

“I thrive on competition,” observes Hendry, who was voted Team USA leader by his fellow teammates in Spartanburg.  “I’m really excited to give my best effort.”

Competing year-round and working out six days per week, Hendry feels well-prepared for the physical and psychological demands posed by the GS Trophy.  The son of South African parents, he has considerable experience competing throughout the African continent.

Stoddard, 45, is a service manager for a large diesel engine manufacturer and a seasoned Hare Scramble, enduro and Iron Butt competitor in the Northeast.  Last year, alone, he logged 34,000 miles on his BMW R 1200 GS Adventure.

Since his selection for the GS Trophy competition, his days have begun at 4:30 a.m. with a training regimen of aerobics, situps, and pushups.  After work, he goes mountain biking.  Several weeks ago, he got up at 2 a.m., road his GS 300 miles from his home in upstate New York to a friend’s home in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.  He had a six-hour training session in the sand, and he rode back home the same day.

“I’m so excited to do this,” Stoddard says.  “I wake up in the middle of the night and remind myself of what I’m doing.”

Adams, 36, is a theatrical lighting director for the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.  On his motorcycle, he prefers to take the road less traveled and he has ridden off-road in Africa, Central and South America, crossing the Andes twice.  Adams has also ridden across the U.S., west to Idaho and east to the northern tip of Newfoundland, toured the pavement and dirt roads of Europe and Scandinavia on his Oilhead GS, and raced his BMW Airhead off-road (including the Sandblast, Black River, and West Virginia RallyMotos).

“To beef up my desert riding skills, I've traveled to the Western deserts numerous times and the Sahara once,” comments Adams.  I do the majority of my own wrenching, and I can speak passable, if simple French, which may be helpful in Tunisia.”

Living in the northeast gives him access to several miles of rocky, steep, tight and technical trails in his backyard, where he practices most days.  During the past few weeks at the theater, Adams could be spotted running several flights of stairs from the lobby to the balcony (he says there are exactly 53 steps) and doing pull-ups from random bars throughout the stage area.

 “I am incredibly excited and proud to represent the USA and BMW in this remarkable endeavor,” he says.  “We have a strong team!”
On Monday, October 13, Hendry, Stoddard and Adams will board separate flights to Milan, Italy, where they will join fellow GS competitors from Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan.   On October 15, the riders and their identically prepared BMW F 800 GS motorcycles will travel by ferry from Genoa to Tunisia for the start of the “Survivor-style” competition in the Tunisian desert on October 16. 

Fortunately, the Tunisia Three love to camp. 

“I always look forward to camping,” says Hendry.  “When I’m not racing, I’m camping.  So this will be like a holiday for me.”

“My wife, Lisa, and I motorcycle camp all the time,” adds Stoddard.  “It’s just that this time, I’ll be doing it without our queen-size air mattress.  I’m also really looking forward to the scenery in the desert.”

“I would rather rough it and have this be an adventure.” echoes Jason. 

BMW Motorrad has provided each rider with an equipment bag, tent, sleeping bag, camping mat, headlamp, hydration pack, compass and Rallye Pro Suit.  Competitors were asked to bring helmets, gloves, boots, goggles, sport shoes, tracksuit, fleece jacket, swim suits, sandals, suntan lotion, sunglasses, energy bars and mineral drinks, camping utensils, travel pillow, towels and personal hygiene items. 

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