Extreme Racers Go Bush This Weekend

Extreme Racers Go Bush This Weekend

NOVEMBER 11, 2013: It’s time for riders to make their mark in the KTM Extreme Enduro Series as round two heads into the trees of the Riverhead Forest this coming weekend.

National enduro champion Chris Birch took his KTM 300 XC-F to win the opening round of the five-round series, The Nut Buster Hard Enduro near Christchurch, in late September and, unless somebody can challenge him before the series gets too much older, then it looks likely to be another runaway title win for the Kiwi international this season.

Wellington's Jake Whitaker (Husaberg FE450) finished runner-up in the Nut Buster and series organiser Sean Clarke (KTM 300 EXC), of Tokoroa, rounded out the top three overall and these are perhaps the men most likely to threaten Birch at The Riverhead 100 on Sunday.

The Riverhead 100 will be a solid test for the riders with leading national championship-rated riders such as Phillip Cheater, from Raetihi, Mokau’s current national cross-country champion and former national enduro champion Adrian Smith, Auckland pair Freddie Milford-Cottam and Liam Draper and Te Awamutu’s Kevin Archer also hoping to mount a challenge to Birch’s dominance.

“There has been a lot of dry weather leading up to this event, but rain arrived recently, so I expect the course should be quite greasy in places,” said Clarke.

“It will be tight and twisty in the forest and possibly there will be a few mud holes to sort the riders out too. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem for most of the riders, though. Everyone should finish the race okay. It will just be a matter of determining the order.

“I’ll be doing my best to challenge Chris (Birch), along with all the other riders entered, but he is one of the best riders in the world at this sort of thing ... let alone him being the best rider in New Zealand.”

Several leading South Island riders are also expected to make the trip north this weekend, including the MacDonald brothers, Angus and Hamish, from West Melton, and Christchurch’s Jacques Bakkenes.

A total of 118 riders lined up for the opening round of the series, the Nut Buster, indicating that the popularity of the competition is growing despite its “hard and extreme” status.

The third round of five in the KTM Extreme Enduro series is set for Tokoroa on December 7.

2013 KTM Extreme Enduro Series calendar:

Round 1: September 28 - Nut Buster Hard Enduro
Round 2: November 17 - Riverhead 100
Round 3: December 7 - Tokoroa Enduro X
Round 4: February 8 - Te Puke Enduro X
Round 5: April 20 and 21 - No Way In Hell

Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

ENDS

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