Birch Wins Seven From Seven

Birch Wins Seven From Seven

Seven wins from seven starts ... it doesn't get any better than that.

Auckland's Chris Birch was again the dominant force as the seven-round New Zealand Enduro Championships series wound up with a double-header weekend in the Central North Island on Saturdayand Sunday, the off-road motorcycle racing on rugged farmland near Waimiha on day one and then in dense forest, just south of Tokoroa, the following day.

Birch proved to be simply unbeatable in this year's KTM-sponsored series, despite having an adult stag jump out of the forest at him on Saturday.

"He leapt off a bank just ahead of me. It was massive, with a full set of antlers ... I'm no hunter, but I'm pretty sure he would have been big enough to keep the freezer full for a while," Birch joked.

"I certainly didn't want to tangle with him.

"I guess it just goes to show what sort of rugged terrain we race these enduro events in, but then it's meant to be something of an adventure too."

Despite his close encounters with wildlife, the 34-year-old easily retained both his titles, as the outright series winner and as the winner of the over-300cc four-stroke bike class.

Birch and his KTM 350 XC-F bike led the way throughout the weekend, the man from Glen Eden edging out Mokau's Adrian Smith by 47 seconds at Waimiha and then hammering out an emphatic 1 minute and 59 second win over Smith at Tokoroa.

It seems Birch just gets better with age as his result this season was marginally better than the five wins from six starts he achieved in also winning the series last season.

He was so dominant this season that he was 29 points ahead of his nearest rival, Howick's Liam Draper, after Waimiha and so, with only a maximum 25 points still available, Birch didn't even have to show up to race at Tokoroa's final round.

"I always find Waimiha a difficult event and probably only ride at about 80 percent there. It's always a bit of a challenge and going flat-out is not always the fastest way around.

"My plan was to ride safely and smoothly and make sure I wrapped up the title on Saturday and I mostly stuck to that plan.

"The KTM 350 XC-F bike was great. All I have needed to do with it all season was change a set of brake pads and a chain. Basically I just lubricated the chain after Saturday and carried on the next day."

Draper finished the series overall runner-up, with Christchurch's Hamish MacDonald taking the No.3 spot.

For riders wanting to sharpen up and match the champion, Birch says he's happy to pass on his skills with a two-day coaching school in Woodhill Forest, near Auckland, on May 23-24. Details are available on his web site at www.chrisbirch.co.nz

ENDS

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